The Dark
by R.O.TR
Summary: After school work could be considered hell...but what is now outside the school walls truly is hell. Part of a small group left behind, Tomo will discover not all things that go bump in the dark are just part of the imagination...
1. Chapter 1

_To quote Hermes Conrad: It's been awhile_

Part I:

The Darkness

_Late April_

Chiyo sat at the large table slowly eating her breakfast as her pet dog walked by. She waited for him to start scavenging, looking up at her desperately for food with his puppy dog eyes. However he ignored her, and Chiyo noticed his hackles were raised. He stood by the painted back door that led out into the large garden and started barking viciously at something.

"What is it Mr Tadakichi?" asked Chiyo, stepping down from the chair and running to one of the windows. Standing up on tiptoes she stared out into the garden, but nothing was there. As suddenly as he started, the dog stopped barking.

"Oh you're a silly doggie" said Chiyo.

* * *

Yomi adjusted her glasses and pulled out her slightly beaten mobile phone as she walked to school. She held it up to her ear, listening to the constant ringing from the small speaker. Did this girl even know how to answer a phone within thirty rings?

"Hello, yeah I'm awake" said the tinny voice of Tomo Takino. "I'm on my way."

"That's nice to know" said Yomi in an annoyed tone. "I take it you have your part of the project with you?"

… There was silence.

"Huh?" asked Tomo finally.

"Remember our group work that we have to present tomorrow?" said Yomi in a frustrated manner. She held her free hand up against her head. _Idiot!_

"Come on, Yukari said the presentations would be happening tomorrow **and **the day after. We just have to make sure we don't get picked tomorrow. See, it'll all work out."

"No it wont!" said Yomi angrily down the phone, startling passersby.

"You need to learn to relax" said Tomo. "You sound stressed."

"I'm stressed because of you!" said Yomi. "I asked you to do something and you didn't do it. Our group has been carrying you!"

"Well better to carry me then you" joked Tomo.

"You do know I will kill you right?" asked Yomi.

"You say that so often it has lost all meaning" said Tomo.

* * *

Sakaki and Chiyo stood together, their difference in height clearly illustrated. They stood watching as Tomo and Yomi, their other group members, tentatively approached Yukari's desk. The teacher looked up at the two, Tomo trying to hide behind Yomi. The teacher was silent for a moment. She recognized that look. It was the look of students who wanted to ask for something.

"What do you two want?" she asked. Tomo tried to shrink back further. Asking Yukari for something was worse then drawing blood from a stone- at least the stone wouldn't try and draw blood from them in turn.

"Thanks to _someone _in our group we need more time" said Yomi. "Would it be possible to stay here afterschool for a while to get some work done?"

"Afterschool?" asked a shocked Tomo. "You never said anything about staying afterschool!"

"Fine" said Yukari.

"Oh well-what?" asked Yomi. "It's fine?"

"This isn't a trick?" asked Tomo. "Some sort of trap?"

"Minamo is staying behind for a bit to work out some plans" said Yukari in a dismissive manner. "I need to get a lift with her, so I'd be staying here anyway. That means I can keep a watch on you and you can stay. Besides Chihiro's group is doing the same thing" she said, pointing to the girl who suddenly noticed the attention and looked scared.

"Oh ok, thank you Miss Yukari" said Yomi.

"Eh, no problem" said Yukari, who hadn't bothered to leave the classroom for lunch. The two girls turned and walked away.

"You never said anything about staying afterschool" said Tomo in a depressed tone. "That means…that means I'll have to leave later!"

"It's your own fault" said Yomi. "Sakaki, Chiyo and I should be the ones complaining."

"So we can finish the project?" asked Chiyo as Yomi and Tomo joined them.

Yomi nodded. "We can stay behind afterschool and finish it off. Chihiro and Kaorin and their group will be here as well."

"That's good" said a clearly relieved Chiyo. The young girl had been worrying ever since being told the class project might not be able to be finished. "That means we can do a good job."

"Yeah with little Chiyo on board we can do well!" said Tomo in a boisterous manner. "The tiny genius could do this all on her own!" she continued, ignoring Chiyo's slight pouting, then worried look.

"You won't do it on your own" said Sakaki quietly.

"Thank you Miss Sakaki!" said Chiyo, the tall girl looking clearly uncomfortable.

"Yomi?" said Tomo in a whiny tone.

"What?"

"Can we stop talking about all this work and get lunch?" asked Tomo.

"Yes" said Yomi evilly. "You can go and get your group what they want."

"Fine" said Tomo. "Just watch how fast I go!"

Yukari yelled out as the girl sprinted away, vanishing from sight for five minutes. She then returned, her arms just about containing numerous cartons of drink and sandwiches. She placed them down on the table.

"Pretty quick huh?" she asked while panting. "The food truck came today, so they have lots of stuff!"

"You crushed my food" said Yomi.

"These things happen!" said Tomo, patting Yomi hard on the back.

"Please calm down Miss Yomi!" said Chiyo desperately.

"Yeah, how can you get so angry on a bright day like this?" asked Tomo.

"With ease when you are around" growled Yomi.

* * *

The school day had drawn to a close as Kagura pulled open the classroom door and slipped her small backpack over one shoulder. She was supposed to meet Minamo in the staff room in five minutes time- she wanted to be prompt for her teacher. Perhaps she might let her train more in the swimming pool when summer arrived- if she made a good impression. She found herself looking forward to it once more as she walked along the hallway.

"Oh hullo Kagura" said a middle aged balding man as she walked along the corridor.

"Hi Mr Tanaka" said Kagura. He was the chief janitor of the school.

"Just thought I'd let you know we've completely cleaned out the pool so the various swimming teams have a high quality environment."

"Oh thanks" said Kagura. "What would we do without you?"

"Well you'd probably have to put up with Kimura offering to clean the pools" joked the man. Kagura let out a fake shudder which got a laugh from the man, but she did slightly mean it.

"I'll see you later, I have a meeting with a teacher" said Kagura.

"Oh ok, good luck" he said, and the girl walked away. He stepped towards the main entrance, looking outside. He noticed how it seemed to be getting darker overhead. A bit early for that.

"Hope that isn't rain coming this way" he said to himself.

* * *

The girl looked clearly unimpressed, sitting on one of the back row desks. A boy from the third year sat closer to the front, his hair gelled up into spikes. He looked slightly annoyed, but nowhere near the level of the girl behind him. A chubby boy was seated across from him. The spiky haired boy looked up as a teacher- Mr Kimura- entered the room. He paused for a moment, staring at the small group, before closing the door behind him.

"I take it you know why you are here?" asked the man, his attention focused on the girl who had a short skirt.

"Because you suck?" she asked.

"Megumi what's all this about sucking?" asked Kimura. The girl fell silent. "You three are the first to experience our trial detention scheme. Ryo, you were told many times about smoking on school grounds."

The spiky haired boy, Ryo Iwata, looked away from the teacher.

* * *

Tomo sat down at the desk. She was fidgeting- the school chime had signalled the end of the day! School was meant to have finished for her! And yet she was still here. She and the others looked up suddenly as it turned dark in the classroom. Yukari grunted and stood up, turning on the lights.

"Stupid weather" she said.

Then the screaming began.

_Authors note: This story occurs early in the azumanga daioh timeline, prior to Osaka's arrival, but a short period after Chiyo's appearance. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"What was that?" asked Minamo in the small cramped room.

Kagura looked across at Yusuke, the captain of the second year male swimming team who looked slightly confused. His face seemed to match her feelings.

"It sounded like screaming to me" said Kagura quietly. "Yeah screaming."

"Probably just some girls messing around outside" said Yusuke. "Yeah that's it, you know how loud some of them can be. Sometimes I'm glad I still have my hearing intact."

Minamo had stood up and opened the door, stepping out into the corridor. The two students glanced at one another as the teacher tried to decide which direction the sound had came from. They heard another scream. A scream from outside the building. This one was loud and piercing- and cut short.

* * *

Tanaka had been confused by what he had seen. It had been getting darker as the evening slowly arrived, but what appeared like a wall of darkness had been rapidly approaching the building. It moved forwards almost as though a black wave. Many students had already left; he was watching the few stragglers leave the school grounds.

The darkness had passed over and beyond the chain link fence, and the metal structure had vanished from view. It was like a divide between day and pitch black night, moving ever closer. Some people had been pointing at it and chatting. A boy had walked towards it and Tanaka watched as he was engulfed. He couldn't even see a vague figure of the boy. The man stood waiting for the boy to step back out, when blood splattered across the playground floor. A few chunks of flesh splatted against the concrete.

Some of the children had noticed and started pointing it out, but blood had quickly been covered up by the pitch black wall. However a girl shrieked in surprise as she was pulled by something and dragged into _it. _She had been with a large group who went to help, running into it.

The screams were terrible.

And then Tanaka was yelling out to the others to get inside. A gang of boys ignored him, never to be seen again as they were engulfed. A short girl who had been by herself ran towards the building, slipping up and falling. The janitor had groaned to himself and ran outside, picking her up. He really hoped he wasn't going to regret this. But he wasn't just going to leave her there.

The dark wall continued inwards, and now they were the only two outside in the playground. They ran into the building and pulled the entrance doors shut behind them. The darkness seemed to be solid- he could hear the door creaking slightly as it was pushed against, but it held. The darkness seemed to pulse against the window.

"W-what was that?" asked the girl, almost sobbing.

* * *

"Something weird is going on" said the tubby boy, standing up and walking towards the window.

"Please sit down" said Kimura. The teacher didn't ask again- Kaorin wasn't here, so he didn't really care.

"Hey this stuff is strange" he said looking out the window. "It's like really dark outside. The light from here ain't doing anything." He stuck out a finger and laughed.

"What's so funny fat boy?" asked Megumi.

"It's like solid" said the boy. He stuck his whole arm out of the window. "It tickles."

Ryo looked up as the boy suddenly juddered slightly. The fat one muttered something, and Ryo was certain he could hear a strange crunching sound. He stood up along with Kimura as the boy began to start screaming wildly. Megumi back away towards the far wall. Ryo paused, unsure of what to do.

"What's going on?" asked Kimura. "What are you doing?"

"My aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmm!" shrieked the boy. "My arm!"

He tried pulling away from the window. He jerked back with his full force, but hardly moved an inch. Ryo and the teacher moved closer.

"Help me! Help me!" he cried, tears running down his face.

Ryo rushed across to the boy. He couldn't see the boy's arm beyond the elbow, the darkness had volume, depth. He was confused. It was like a strange mix between liquid and solid. Everything beyond the window frame was like staring into a black hole.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Pull me away! Pull me away!" said the boy desperately.

Ryo gripped the boy and with all his strength tugged backwards, the boy yelling out as he was finally freed. Ryo fell to the floor, narrowly avoiding the desk Kimura had been sitting at. He groaned and rubbed the back of his head. Suddenly Megumi was screaming.

Ryo looked up as Kimura turned pale. The tubby boy's shirt sleeve had been torn away. All the flesh had been torn away from the fingers, and the tubby arm was ragged, flesh viciously torn away with muscle and bone bared. Some grey flesh remained in small patches, blood pouring over it. The tubby one backed into the wall screaming out loud as blood dripped to the floor.

"Close the window!" yelled out Megumi.

Kimura picked up a wooden ruler and shoved it into the handle of the window, pulling the glass towards him. Ryo noticed the darkness didn't seem to be coming into the room. Kimura finally gripped hold of the handle and slammed it shut, locking the window.

* * *

"What's with all the screaming?" asked Tomo as Chiyo sat with a very worried look. "I bet all those idiots are having fun while we are stuck in here" she added.

"It's your fault we are here" said Yomi, sick of repeating this.

"When did it get so dark?" asked Kaorin, seated a short way across from Tomo's group. Only her friend paid any attention from her group, the two boys busy working.

Chihiro looked up at the window.

"Wow" she said "I can't see anything."

Yomi was going to say something to Tomo, but the girl had already stood up and walked across to the window. She stood with her face pressed against the glass, Yukari grumbling about marks being left on the window.

"It's weird" she said. "It's about as black as Yomi's soul."

"Jackass!" called out Yomi angrily, before regaining her composure as Kaorin's group looked at her.

Tomo poked the window, and tried to open it much to Yukari's chagrin. However it barely budged and Tomo quickly stopped as she found it a bit too strange. She slowly turned and looked at Yukari. Kaorin was glad Tomo was too lazy to go to the open window close to Yukari's desk.

"Hey is this global warming?" asked Tomo pointing to the window.

"How would I know?" asked Yukari. "Besides isn't that about…well…the world…warming? Ice caps and dinosaurs? Not gloomy days."

"I really can't see anything" said Tomo, trying to peer at the ground below. "I wonder if all the buses and cars had to stop" she said.

"Bah this better not go on too long" said Yukari. "I have something I want to watch on TV in three hours. I've been waiting for this show all bloody week."

"I'm hungry" whined Tomo.

"You had lunch a few hours ago" said Yomi, annoyed at having to conduct a conversation _across _the room.

"Yeah- a few hours ago. I'm hungry now" she said with puppy dog eyes.

"Well just go down to the vending machines and get something" said Yukari.

Tomo didn't move, instead just standing by the window. She stood looking out at the strange thing outside- she was certain it was moving a bit. And she never knew it to be this dark at five in the evening. She moved hesitantly, pulling out some loose change.

"What's the matter? Scared of the dark?" asked Yukari in a condescending tone.

"No" said Tomo quickly to her teacher. "Of course I'm not!"

"I'll come" said Sakaki getting off of her chair. "I'm thirsty."

"Looks like you are in luck Tomo!" called out Yukari as the two girls left the room. The two groups continued on their work after the disturbance as the door closed. However Chiyo found herself distracted, looking across at the window.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Now I'm sure one day mine can get as large as yours" said Tomo as they walked down the stairs. "However I bet by then yours will be even larger" she added.

Sakaki didn't reply.

"Have you ever tried being a model or something? I bet loads of people would give you jobs with those breasts. Of course if I wanted to I bet I could become a model" boasted Tomo. "I just don't want it to get in the way of my school work."

"Like the project?" asked Sakaki.

"…yes like the project" said Tomo. If it weren't for Tomo knowing Sakaki's demeanour, she would have been certain that was an attempt at sarcasm.

They continued walking down the stairs, the large glass window behind them black, with no sign of the outside world. Sakaki glanced back at it and felt a little uneasy, but carried on down the stairs. Tomo however chose to stand and look at it. Some of strangely solid darkness rolled across the window, and a faint creaking could be heard from the ageing windows.

"Cool this is weird. Maybe they'll send the x-files to investigate" said Tomo turning back to Sakaki.

"Maybe" said Sakaki.

"Maybe I'll get to do an interview on TV" said Tomo.

She was lost in daydreams for a moment before they both continued to walk down the stairs. They reached the floor and Tomo pulled out some change, handing it to a confused Sakaki.

"I'm going to get some snacks" said Tomo. "Could you get me a coke while I go this way to the machine?" she asked. Sakaki nodded. "See you in a minute."

The two girls split up and Tomo started walking along the corridor. She found herself looking up at a series of small square windows that run along the top of the wall. Every single one was the same as the stairway window. She guessed night must have just come early or something- she wasn't a teacher on these things, how should she know?

However she did find it a bit creepy, and was embarrassed when she shivered slightly. Of course she knew she wouldn't be able to admit this, as Yomi and Yukari would mock her constantly.

"But what the heck is going on?" she asked herself as she reached the vending machine. She inserted the change and grumbled loudly when the machine stated the snack she wanted was out of stock. She paused for a moment before making another choice and bending down to pick up the chocolate bar.

She stood back up to find Sakaki running along the corridor to her.

"I'm not that desperate for a drink" said Tomo jokingly.

"I found something" said Sakaki who was paler then usual.

"Something?" asked Tomo. "What type of something?"

"B-blood" said Sakaki.

"Oooh" said Tomo. "Let me have a look at it, it might be the start of a mystery."

Sakaki nodded nervously, still holding two bottles of drink in her faintly shaking hands. She started to walk back where she had come, Tomo following the tall girl eagerly. They quickly reached the drinks machines, Sakaki placing the two bottles on the ground. She pointed to the wall beyond the machine.

Tomo slowly stepped forwards, holding the chocolate bar tightly in her hands. She looked in surprise at the mark on the dull coloured corridor wall. A bloody hand print rested on the wall, some blood still trickling down the wall to the ground below. A small trail led off further down the hallway.

"Someone probably got hurt in a games lesson" said Tomo.

"Perhaps."

"Wanna go investigate Sakaki?" asked Tomo. "Want to see what happened?"

Sakaki shook her head. "No I don't" she said, eyeing the bloodied wall, while a darkened window made a low creaking noise behind her. "Can we go back now?"

"Fine" said Tomo. She looked down and let out a cry that startled Sakaki.

"W-what is it?" asked Sakaki, not wanting to look.

"I crushed my chocolate bar" said Tomo. "And it's melted a bit too. It's all squidgy. Oh no fair!"

"Oh" said a relieved Sakaki.

She was startled again as a voice called out: "How long does it take to get some snacks?"

The two schoolgirls watched as Yomi quickly made her way down the stairs, and stepped into the corridor looking for them. She soon spotted them.

"Yukari sent me down here to see what you were doing" said Yomi.

"What check up on both of us?" asked Tomo.

"Nope, just you" said Yomi pointing at Tomo. Tomo opened her mouth to reply when they heard a commotion from behind them.

"You can't go out there!" said a schoolgirl Tomo didn't recognize. A man who she thought was the janitor stood beside her, standing across from two men. What was his name…Tanka…Tarada…Taka?

"It's dangerous" said Tanaka. "Something…strange is out there" he said to the two men, part of the school maintenance team.

"Please" said the younger of the two men he was talking to. "You just want us to stick around because _you _are running behind schedule. I've got my work done, now I get to go home" he said turning around. He walked towards the door.

"Don't do that!" cried out the girl.

The other man paused for a moment but joined his colleague, pushing open the door and stepping outside. As they stepped outside into the dark, they vanished from view, the lights of the hallway not causing the dark to recede away from the steps of the entrance.

Tomo looked up at Sakaki.

"Weirdo alert."

She saw Sakaki look up- then she heard a faint whooshing sound. There was a crash and the girl close to the entrance screamed as blood suddenly splattered across the hallway entrance. Suddenly they could hear screaming, someone yelling out for help. Tomo and Sakaki gave one another a look and ran down to the janitor, Yomi following behind them.

"W-we told them not to go out!" said the girl. "We told them to stay inside!"

The group jumped back as one as suddenly one of the men appeared, lying on the ground, much of his body concealed. He looked up desperately.

"Help me! Get me in!" he yelled.

Tanaka and Tomo each grabbed an arm and started to tug. The man kept yelling, telling them to pull harder when he suddenly started screaming, blood flecking from his mouth. Sakaki joined Tomo as a crunching sound was heard.

All of a sudden the resistance was gone and they pulled the man into the hallway. He was surprisingly quiet.

"What the hell!?" yelled out Yomi suddenly, backing away.

Tomo glanced at the man, and pushed herself away along the floor. The shirt was slightly torn down to the small of the back, many small tears. However beyond that it was ragged, where the legs and part of the torso had been ripped away. Parts of his body rested on the floor. Some squidgy flesh that might have been an organ lay just beside his torn spine. Tomo didn't know, she didn't pay much attention to biology.

"Holy crap!" said Tomo as Tanaka grabbed hold of the door and pulled it shut. For some reason the dark hadn't entered the hallway.

"I think you should get back to your classrooms" said the man as he locked the door.

"The others don't know about this! We have to tell them!" said Yomi, and she ran to the stairs, followed by Sakaki, with Tomo a distant third.

"Hey wait up!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The window close to Yukari's desk was opened slightly. The teacher stood up, groaning as one of her knees clicked slightly. She knew Minamo was talking crap when the PE teacher went on about her having too much junk food and alcohol. Always saying Yukari had a bad diet.

"I'm perfectly fine" she said to herself, despite the fact the click had been loud enough for Chihiro to hear and grimace at.

She stopped by the window looking out. She was surprised- there was no breeze at all blowing into the room. She stood for a while- she guessed Tomo was right- this was a bit unusual. But she didn't think this was global warming. She jumped back slightly when she found Kaorin standing by her. _Don't do that!_

"I don't think this is an early night" said Kaorin. "It kind of look like…well solid…like a jelly or something."

"One way to prove that" said Yukari, picking up a ruler from the desk. She grinned and returned to the window.

"What are you going to do?" asked Kaorin.

"I'm going to investigate" said Yukari. "Today I'm a scientist" she said proudly.

Gripping the end of the ruler, she stuck it out the open window, poking it into the darkness. She was surprised as she felt a slight resistance. In fact something seemed to be moving the ruler up and down slightly, against her own movements. She felt the plastic twisting slightly along its length, like another hand held the other end, going in a different direction to Yukari's hand.

"Well this is weird" said Yukari. She decided she might wait for it to clear up before going home with Minamo. Perhaps she should just choose to miss that show.

"What's it like?" asked Kaorin. "How weird?"

"It's kind of like…well like poking a really soft pillow" said Yukari. "Or something like that."

"I don't think that's normal" said Kaorin.

Yukari was about agree when she yelled out in shock as the ruler was forcibly pulled out of her hands. Kaorin let out a sound of surprise while Yukari swore. The teacher had got a slight friction burn. Red marks along the palm and fingers. She looked out the window angrily.

"That's my ruler!" she yelled. Kaorin was uneasy, and backed away from the windows, moving towards the middle of the room. All the time she kept her eyes on the windows.

"What is it Kaorin?" asked Chihiro spotting her friend acting strangely.

"I think something…something _bad _is outside Chihiro" said Kaorin.

"Wow" said Chihiro. "You look scared Kaorin."

"Don't go near the windows" said Kaorin quietly. "Stay away from them. Ok?"

"Sure ok. We aren't using a desk by the window for our work anyway."

Kaorin's mind wasn't focused on the project. And Yukari was getting dangerously close to the window. Behind her Chiyo was shocked as the door suddenly slammed open and Yomi burst into the room followed by Sakaki. A short time later Tomo entered.

"Miss Yukari get away from the window!" yelled out Yomi.

"But they took my ruler" she replied in a sulky tone.

"And you don't think that's a bit unusual?!" asked an unbelieving Yomi. "For a ruler to just vanish into something on the second level of the building?"

"Well I suppose it has been known to happen…" started Yukari.

"Where?! Where could that have possibly occurred?" said Yomi.

"I hear some strange things about…Australia" replied the teacher, as she stepped a bit away from the window. "Though I guess it doesn't normally happen in Tokyo."

"Miss Yukari" said Sakaki.

"Yes?" asked Yukari.

"Could we talk to you outside quickly?" she asked. Sakaki had decided to act before Tomo blurted out what they had just seen. Even though she didn't feel comfortable, it would be better then a possible panic.

* * *

The tubby boy, who Kimura had since found out was called Jin gasped in pain as the teacher finished wrapping a bandage around his ruined arm. Kimura had often boasted about the fact he was one of the trained first aiders- but he never really got to use it- especially not on the girls. He guessed it was lucky they had chosen to have the new detention room by the nurses area.

However he grimaced to himself when he thought about the pain the boy would incur when they tried to remove the bandage from his arm- reopening the wounds again. The bandage was more red then white, but it seemed to be doing a job.

"Does anyone want to help me look for other people?" asked Kimura, looking at Megumi keenly. The girl shook her head.

"I'll help" said Ryo joining the teacher.

"Great" said Kimura in a disappointed tone. "Before we do that I'm going to go wash my hands in the next room. Megumi you stay here with Jin."

"But…" started Megumi. "What do I do? I don't know- what if he starts bleeding again or something?!"

"Just stay here" said Ryo. "It'll be better to stay together then to be on your own."

Megumi gave a quick glance to the windows. "I'll stay here with Jin."

"Stay in this room unless you have to leave" said Kimura. "I guess your detention is going to last a bit longer" said the teacher.

"Please don't put it that way" said Megumi.

"Lets go" said Kimura, rolling up his jacket sleeves as though meaning business. He was mainly doing it to try and impress Megumi- it had worked in the eighties for him…

Kimura pulled open the door and entered the corridor, followed by the spiky haired Ryo. The student stood around waiting as Kimura entered the adjacent room, washing the blood from his hands. Kimura watched the red following the water down the sink.

"I have to admit I wasn't expecting this when I came to work today" he called out.

"Yeah" said Ryo. "I wasn't expecting this detention thing to actually happen."

"On the plus side, at least you're in here instead of out there" commented the teacher. He dried his hands and rejoined the student. "So which way?" he asked.

"Maybe the entrance?" suggested Ryo. "Some people might be there."

"Sure" said Kimura. He thought that there could be a chance a group of nervous and scared schoolgirls could have gathered there, waiting for help… He would gladly be their knight. They'd be so happy to see him, to have an adult come to their rescue…

"Hello?" said Ryo, the teacher having fallen silent beside him, the man deep in daydreams and fantasies.

"Oh I'm still here" said Kimura dreamily. "Yes I'm still here…"

"Well that's good…I guess" said Ryo. He really wished he could have a cigarette. The lighter was a comforting weight in his pocket. Considering that was the reason he had ended up in the new detention scheme he decided it was a good idea not to smoke in front of Kimura. However if they both did…

"Say Mr Kimura do you smoke?" asked Ryo hopefully.

"No" said Kimura. "I don't like the smell."

"Oh ok" said a disappointed Ryo.

"Ryo, can you see what I see?" asked Kimura. He spoke in the tone he had used when he had seen Jin's arm. The teacher pointed, Ryo peering down the hallway. He could see the blood smeared across the polished floor, and what looked like a body.

"I don't think I have enough bandages for that" commented Kimura.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You're so funny" said Yukari, "But you do have a pretty warped imagination. You don't harm little animals do you? I hear that's how these things start…"

"This wasn't imagination or a story or anything" said Yomi. "It's true!"

"I s-saw it" said Sakaki. "It was horrible."

Yukari paused for a moment. "Well it is odd for Sakaki to get involved in these sort of things, but I don't know. Sounds like something from a horror film I guess."

"You watch horror films?" asked Tomo. "I do too! Yomi always get scared when I watch them during a sleepover…"

"Yeah I watch horror films" said Yukari. "Who doesn't? The gore, the excitement, those young pretty teenage girls getting what's coming to them…"

The group of teenage girls were silent for a moment. Yomi suddenly thought of something and started to speak.

"So I take it you know quite a bit about these types of films?" she asked her teacher.

"Of course I do" said Yukari boastfully. "I was raised on these sort of films in the eighties. Before computers came along and did everything and cinemas became too expensive and…" she started ranting.

"Well then I take it you know what happens to the people who refuse to believe anything bad is happening?" asked Yomi. Yukari paused for a moment as her brain slowly kicked into gear.

"Lets go and talk to Nyamo" she said.

"That's all I ask" said Yomi with a victorious smile. Minamo would be a more useful teacher to talk to.

* * *

In the small staffroom there was only one tiny window, and that was covered with a horribly garish curtain, chosen by a former teacher several years ago. Finally one other sports captain had joined the meeting- Kenji the football (soccer) captain. Minamo was deeply annoyed at the lack of people present for their discussion. It didn't matter if anyone else turned up now, the meeting had finished.

"Miss Kurosawa can I turn on the television?" asked Yusuke, pointing to the small device Yukari had brought into the room a few months ago to 'get rid of boredom'. Yukari seemed to spend more time with the TV then marking work. "It's just that no one's coming to pick me up for another half an hour."

"Sure Yusuke" said Minamo. _At least he had actually bothered to turn up_. "However if Yukari catches you, I've never seen you before."

"Deal" said Yusuke laughing as he switched on the small device. He switched on the television and started flicking through the channels, looking for something to watch.

"_Oni-chan we can't…"_

_Click_

"_What you really want to do is give it time to boil…"_

_Click_

"…_thing strange in Tokyo is happening…"_

_Click_

"Hey could you go back to that report about Tokyo?" asked Minamo. Yusuke nodded and clicked on the slightly worn remote. Yukari had once thrown it to the floor when she discovered her program wouldn't be showing that day.

"…_strange appeared just over an hour ago seemingly engulfing all of Tokyo. Can we get a better shot?"_

The cameraman turned and panned up, focusing on a large wall of black that seemed to stretch up to the sky. It was as though there was almost a straight divide between evening sky and the dark. Even on the tiny screen Minamo could tell it was big. The camera returned to the reporter.

"_This strange wall of darkness has reduced visibility to zero. People are being denied access to the city, and there are currently unsupported claims that there are record numbers of calls to emergency services from within the Tokyo area."_

With the other three gathered around the television, Kenji walked over to the small high window, leaning up and standing on a chair to brush the curtains away. He looked up to see a small square of dark blocking any view of the sky above.

"Guess it's not a movie" he joked. Minamo looked up at the window, before hearing a familiar sound from the TV. She turned back to it as the camera followed the path of a military helicopter which vanished into the darkness.

"We should keep a lookout for it!" said Yusuke excitedly, this was part of an adventure now.

"Meh, I don't think you'll be able to see anything" muttered Kenji as he stared out of the window.

Kagura stood beside Minamo, giving a quick glance up at the small window. She didn't know why Kenji and Yusuke seemed so…excited. She felt a bit worried- something strange was going on, and she found herself seemingly in the middle of it.

"What do you think is going on?" asked Kagura.

"I have no idea" replied Minamo. Kagura was about to reply when she spotted the image on the television juddering as the cameraman quickly turned to view something.

"What…" started Kagura.

"_What? What's going on?" muttered the reporter off camera. "Oh crap!"_

Suddenly the helicopter reappeared from what was Tokyo, no more then twenty feet above the ground, with smoke wildly trailing it. The juddering camerawork caught an image of a long scar in the metal framework, and a blood soaked window.

"_I…it's going to crash, get out of the way" yelled someone, shortly before the helicopter smashed into the ground. _

The reporter stood in front of the camera, now looking deeply flustered.

"_No one knows what exactly is going on, but the danger is plain to see. This is Kensuke Doda reporting live from the edge of Tokyo."_

"Hey Kenji, I think you should get away from the window" said Kagura.

"Sure" said Kenji, stepping down off the chair having heard the recent sounds from report. "That's a good idea."

"I'm just going to go out to the corridor for a bit" said Kagura, who had spent too long in the cramped room surrounded by piles of Yukari's miscellanea.

"Ok, but…stay away from the windows" said Minamo.

"I will" said Kagura, who suddenly screamed as she pulled open the door. She was face to face with Yukari who had gone to open the door from the other side at the same time. Kagura muttered something, allowed Yukari in and quickly vanished along the corridor.

Minamo watched her friend enter, Yusuke not having time to turn off the television. Minamo also noticed a trio of girls standing behind her- and the windows behind them. All dark, no view of the city permitted.

"What is it Yukari?"

"These weirdo's have a bunch of strange ideas" said Yukari. "They said something about outside being dangerous, and something to do with bodies and people dying."

Behind the teacher Yomi groaned. Yukari was going on about this potential trigger of information right in front of two students.

"Well there was a strange report on the news" said Kenji, hoping Yukari wouldn't notice he had stood on her chair.

"Yeah there was like a helicopter and it crashed, and it looked all torn up" said Yusuke, "After it tried to fly into this strange dark cloud or something."

Yomi and Sakaki gave one another anxious looks. Yukari seemed unconcerned.

"Bah the news only exists to be sensationalist" said Yukari, "Like with that Dinosaur park. One two hour report and then nothing more was heard from it."

"That was a film" said Minamo.

"A cool film!" called out Tomo. "It was" she said, as Yomi looked angry.

"They say all of Tokyo is covered with this" said Kenji pointing to the window.

"Well I still say…" started Yukari before a loud crash interrupted her.

"Now what" said Yomi to herself.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The small group made their way down the stairs, having separated into two groups. Sakaki, Kagura and Yusuke had chosen to stay in the staffroom. Tomo and Yomi had joined Yukari, Minamo and Kenji in going to investigate the loud disturbance. Minamo held a baseball bat in her hands, which she noticed Yukari was staring eagerly at.

"You can't have this" said Minamo. "You'll probably end up hitting us."

"No I…wouldn't" said Yukari. "Probably not."

Yomi had never heard the school so quiet. Their voices echoed slightly throughout the stairway, their footsteps as well as they stepped down the concrete stairs. Though she didn't like to be sensationalist, it was as though the place was dead. In a way she was glad Tomo was around, as her constant stupidity helped to remove her from the eeriness of the surroundings.

"So where did the sound come from?" asked Minamo, gripping the bat a little more tightly.

"It came from somewhere in that direction" said Kenji, pointing to the left. "I'm certain of it."

The group had gone down a different stairway to what Tomo and Sakaki had used earlier. This was the furthermost stairway to the left, so Kenji was pointing towards one of the ends of the actual building. From the stairway there were only six more classrooms (on either side) before the end wall.

"Ok Yukari and Tomo you keep a watch out behind us" said Minamo. "We don't want anything creeping up on us."

"When did you get put in charge?" grumbled Yukari, "I could be the leader."

"I'm the one with the bat" said Minamo. "And I also have some brains as well."

"Pah! You're just a sports teacher" moaned Yukari. What could you have that I don't?"

"Charisma, intelligence and compassion?" suggested Tomo, who shrunk back as the words reached Yukari. Yomi glared as Tomo hid behind her. That wouldn't stop Yukari! The teacher would just go through both of them!

"I'm going to let that go once" said Yukari, "Since I guess you're just a bit overwhelmed by this whole situation. It isn't wrong to be scared."

"Actually I've been thinking it for a while along with-mgfhufg" said Tomo as Yomi gripped her hand around Tomo's mouth, trying to shut her up. She had gotten one reprieve- she wouldn't get two.

"Quiet" said Minamo. "I think I heard something."

"It might have been me, I didn't eat the food I bought" said Tomo, free from Yomi.

Yomi thought she could hear something too. It sounded a bit like movement, something small, something scuttling a short distance away. But she couldn't be certain. It could just be her imagination. It was at times like these that she hated the fact she watched so many horror films. All of the things she was imagining would probably be far worse then the actual truth.

"Tomo, Yukari keep a look out" said Minamo. "I'm going to check it out."

"I'll come with you" said Kenji quietly.

Yomi paused. "I'll help too" she said finally. She could tell that the teacher was nervous. Minamo nodded.

The small group separated into two, Minamo leading the two students away from the stairs. They walked past the first classroom before stopping. Two doors that separated the hallway into two sections hung open. That wasn't why they had stopped though. Beyond the doors it was twilight, none of the lights working.

Minamo stepped forwards and poked the bat beyond the doorway into the next corridor section. Nothing happened. Minamo turned back.

"I think it's ok, it's just the lights are out" said Minamo.

Yomi froze for a moment. The 'it was just a' moment in horror films were often followed by something horrible. But nothing happened. Kenji let out a nervous laugh.

"Should we start investigating now?" said Yomi. "I want to get out of here soon."

"Sure" said Kenji, stepping through the open doors, followed by Minamo. Yomi hung back initially, but eventually followed them.

"You know, torches would have been really useful for this" said Kenji as he peered through the glass section of one of the classroom doors.

"This is just a school" replied Minamo. "Why would we have torches and other things like that? This is a place to learn, not to try and find out about…weird things."

"I guess so" said Kenji, pushing open the door to another classroom. "Woah" he said from just inside the room.

"What is it?" asked Yomi, walking to where he had been standing.

"We might have a slight problem" said Kenji pointing to the far wall.

Yomi peered through the twilight, the lights from hallway on the other side of the corridor doors having little impact. However she could see the large hole that had been torn into the wall, rubble spread out amongst crushed desks. And she could just make out something slowly entering the room. The dark was funnelling into the room through the hole like a mist, slowly reaching out further into the room. Beyond the large hole was solid black. Yomi was certain she heard the scuttling again.

"I think we should leave" she said, slowly backing away. Kenji stood watching the darkness spreading out through the twilight. It was darker then the relative dark of the actual room.

Kenji was about to say something when with a surprised look he fell to the floor. Yomi paused for a moment as he yelled out something. She went to enter the room when he stood up, a bit further into the room.

"Something grabbed hold of my ankle!" he said in an astonished tone. "It pulled me down to the ground!"

"I think you should get out of there."

"But I can't see anything that would grab-" He stopped speaking as something flashed across his face and he fell to the floor again.

"Kenji?" asked Yomi.

Minamo rushed over to the girl as Kenji suddenly started screaming in pain. Yomi was unable to move, shocked. She heard a struggle, and saw the boy stand up, yelling out. He held out a hand which Yomi noticed was red. Then he turned to face her and in the dim light she could just about see the skin was missing from his face. She backed up in horror, walking into Minamo who was frozen in terror.

Kenji stumbled forwards, blood pouring from his exposed facial muscle. He fell to the floor, and Yomi saw something jump on him. His screams were cut short, and now Minamo and Yomi ran. The teacher pulled the corridor doors shut and slid the bat through the handles. They stood in the light of the undamaged hallway, but nothing came through the door. As they went to leave, Yomi was certain she saw more movement from within the darkened corridor section.

"What's going on?" asked Tomo, spotting Yomi and Minamo as they made their way back.

"Where's the other one?" asked Yukari.

"Something got him" said Yomi.

"We have to leave now" said Minamo. Tomo and Yukari looked puzzled, but followed nonetheless as the other two ran up the stairs.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kimura and Ryo turned as they heard running footsteps. A man, who Kimura recognized as the janitor named Tanaka, carried some rolled tarp. A girl (a schoolgirl Kimura noticed) was running behind him. They came to a sudden stop when they spotted the newcomers. The janitor looked at the body and then at Kimura.

"I didn't do this" he said. The girl nodded in agreement.

"Was it something outside?" said Kimura. "Was it that? Or what's in that?" he asked pointing to the window. Still there was no sign of light from outside. Kimura doubted there would be any light at all inside the building if the lights were to go off.

"Something grabbed this guy" said Tanaka as he placed the tarpaulin over the body. "We tried to pull him back inside, but this was all we got."

"We told them not to go out" said the girl tearfully. "There were two men, neither got back in."

"So where are his legs?" asked a slightly sickened Ryo.

"Outside somewhere I guess" replied Tanaka. "He was whole when he went out, we only got half back."

"Some other girls tried to help" said the girl. "There was a tall girl, and one with glasses, and another one. They tried to help bring him back but he d-died."

"Yeah they took off up those stairs" said Tanaka. "I told them to get back to their classrooms. I think there's probably more people in here, but I decided to take care of this first. Little Yuka here has been keeping me company."

Kimura looked upwards for a moment. Other people? His darling Kaorin could be in trouble. And now he had the opportunity to save her! Perhaps he might even get a kiss for his troubles…or at least not be looked at like a wild rabid lion.

"I'll go upstairs and check" said Kimura. "They might be in trouble, or need some help" he said. "There are two other students downstairs, they're both in the new detention room."

"After I've finished here I'll go and collect them" said Tanaka. "Do you want to take Yuka with you? I think it might be safer upstairs."

"Sure" said Kimura. This girl seemed cute after all- but not as cute as his darling Kaorin! "Do you want to come with us?" he asked. Yuka nodded and moved away from Tanaka, taking care not to look at the concealed body again.

"Are you going to come with me too?" he asked Ryo.

"Yeah" said Ryo. "I'll come too." He didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to be around more people. Though he wasn't usually much of a people person, this was just too creepy to stay alone. He refused to believe it, but he was slightly scared.

"Will you be ok on your own Mr Tanaka?" asked Yuka, worried about the man who had helped her earlier.

"I should be ok" replied the man. "I know what to stay away from, and I can take care of myself. Well at least I think I can."

"Don't forget about the other two" said Ryo. He wondered if Jin was still bleeding as much. How much blood could someone lose before it became very serious…?

"Don't worry I'll get them. And unless you have to get out of there, stay up on the next floor. I'll meet you up there. Be careful."

"I'm always careful" said Kimura.

* * *

Kagura stepped out into the hallway having heard running. She watched the two teachers come to a stop, Yomi and Tomo behind them. Yomi and Minamo looked pale and shocked. The other two merely looked confused. Kenji was nowhere to be seen.

"What is it?" she asked, Yukari and Tomo panting after having to run. "What's going on?"

"Ask them" said Yukari pointing. "They just started running. Scared the crap out of me."

"We are in trouble" said Minamo, leaning back against the wall across from the windows. Yukari and Kagura paused for a moment.

"What do you mean by that?"

"And where is the bat?" asked Yukari. "That was a good bat. An expensive one too."

"Something got Kenji" said Yomi at last. "I think…I think he's dead."

"Dead?!" said Kagura, Tomo looking puzzled beside her. "What was it?"

"I couldn't see" said Yomi.

"Did you have your glasses on?" asked Tomo, Yomi glaring at her.

"No! It was too dark to see properly. There was a hole in the wall, and something attacked him. I couldn't see what it was though; I only saw a glimpse of something."

"Did it come after you?" asked Yukari. "If it did I'm going back in the staffroom."

"I closed the hallway doors and kept them closed with the bat" said Minamo. "Nothing followed us; nothing even tried to break through the glass."

"Ok then" said Yukari. "So what do we do now?" she asked, looking for advice from Minamo.

"Don't go outside" replied her friend. "It's dangerous."

"Oh brilliant trapped in this damn school" said Yukari. "At least if I was at home I could sit and drink some beer while waiting for the end."

"This _isn't _the end" said an annoyed Minamo. "We wait this out, I bet by tomorrow morning it'll be gone and we can leave."

"Yeah but I tell you what wont be here by tomorrow morning" said Yukari. "Beer. There won't be any of that around."

"I think there are more important things to worry about" said Yomi in almost the exact same tone Minamo had used. Yukari was shocked for a moment by the similarity.

"More important things?! Blasphemy" said Yukari. "If I'm going to go through the end of the world I want to at least have my speech slurred. And it'd be nice to not have the ability to stand up so I don't have any false hope in trying to run."

"Yukari you really aren't helpful" groaned Minamo.

"I don't suppose we're going to check on the others anytime soon?" asked Tomo. "We have been gone for a while."

"Ah crap the other ones!" said Yukari. "I forgot I had a whole horde of them staying late today. Ah jeez."

"I'm going to check!" called out Yomi as she started to run. Tomo quickly decided to follow her, and chased after her. She was actually attempting a race in the hallway, but she didn't catch up.

"I'm sure they'll be fine" said Yukari. "At least one of them wanted to stay away from the windows so…at least one should be ok. Ah crap."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kaorin kept her head down, focused on the paper in front on her on the desk. She didn't want to look at the windows, she didn't want to see them. She had this feeling that _something _was out there. She was certain she was being watched, had a primal fearful sensation that she was being hunted…no that was too silly. At least that was what she hoped.

"Hey Kaorin" said Masaaki. Kaorin glanced up from her work. He didn't seem nervous at all, to him it was just another day. Seemingly his only worry was getting the work done so he could go home.

"What is it?" she asked, trying not to let her nerves show in her voice.

"Well I've just been thinking about the order. We've almost got the work done, but which of us will start the presentation?" he asked.

"I don't really want to start it" said Takuya Iga, the fourth member of their project group. He was shy at speaking to audiences, but was ok with more private conversations. "I'm happy to talk…I guess, but I don't really want to open."

"I'll start" said Chihiro. "Unless you want to?" she asked.

"No I'm fine" replied Masaaki.

"What about you Kaorin?" asked Chihiro. "Kaorin?"

"Oh? Yeah you can if you want. I don't really want to" said Kaorin, who had been lost in her thoughts. Just _what _was out there?

"Are you ok Kaorin?" asked Chihiro. "You seem a bit off."

"Really?" lied Kaorin. "I feel fine…just a little tired I guess."

As Kaorin finished speaking the door to the classroom opened again, Yomi standing in the doorway, Tomo appearing behind her. Kaorin saw a look she'd never seen before from Yomi- fear. Tomo merely looked confused.

"Miss Yomi" said Chiyo, happy to see some of her group return. She had been working alone for the last twenty minutes. Then she also noticed the look on Yomi's face. Chiyo felt a little scared herself.

"What's going on?" asked Masaaki. "Where did you and Yukari vanish off to?"

"We have a problem" said Yomi. "A serious problem" she added.

"You need to stop being so serious Yomi" joked Tomo. Suddenly she yelled out. Yomi spun around to face her.

"What is it?" she asked desperately.

"K-Kimura!" said Tomo pointing down the hallway. "It's Mr Kimura!"

Kaorin suddenly felt the day get a lot worse.

* * *

"So there's something that 'attacked' someone downstairs?" asked Masaaki. "Just wandering around downstairs looking for people to attack?"

"We contained it…I think" said Minamo. The two teachers and most of the students in the staffroom had come to Yukari's classroom to join up with the others. Kagura had stayed behind, listening out for any reports on the small radio. Kimura stood at the back of the class looking at the schoolgirls.

"And there was something outside as well" said Ryo. "It injured this guy named Jin."

"A-and it killed at least one person down by the entrance" said Yuka, "and the people who were outside when it arrived" she added, pointing at the window.

Masaaki removed his glasses, rubbing his forehead as he sat back down in his chair. Takuya fidgeted for a moment, before finally speaking.

"So what do we do now?" he asked. "If there's something in here we can't just stay can we?"

"I don't really know what else we can do" replied Yomi.

"It's dangerous out there" said Yuka. "Everyone who went into the dark didn't come back…well at least not whole" she added, shivering. "_We told him not to go out, we tried to help…_"

"There's no way I'm going out there" said Ryo. "It ripped the skin and stuff off of Jin's arm. I don't want to think what could happen if I stood out there."

Yomi was still for a moment, having turned away from the group. She had seen part of Kenji's face torn away. Just what the hell was outside?

"I don't think we could get very far walking" said Minamo. "We might last a few seconds if we run, but after that…I don't know."

Some of the students turned their heads as a jingling sound was emitted. It seemed to come from the back of the room, small metal bouncing off metal. Kimura stood at the back holding up a set of keys. He clenched them in his fist, having got their attention.

"Today I brought my car to work. And I know Minamo drives" he said. "The car park is a five minute walk from the front entrance" he added.

"We wouldn't last five minutes out there" said Ryo.

"And we don't even know if the cars are still there. They could have been destroyed by whatever is out there" added Minamo.

"I know" said Kimura. "But there's a chance that this may recede somewhat possibly tomorrow, possibly the day after, possibly never. But if that chance comes, we do have an escape route" he said. "If the cars are still there of course."

"That sound reassuring" muttered Yukari.

"I don't want to get into a car with Kimura" said Kaorin softly to Chihiro.

"I don't either" replied her friend.

The group was startled by a knock on the door. It opened, Kagura standing in the hallway holding the small radio. She stepped inside, placing it on the desk. Yukari looked across at her, the only one not to realize why the girl had come into the room. Kagura quickly turned up the volume.

"_This is a message to any survivors residing within Tokyo. Remain in your homes with all windows and doors secured. A currently unidentified threat is present in the darkness found throughout the city. We are preparing a rescue mission to retrieve all people still within the city. Be calm, but do not leave…"_

"Survivors?" said Chiyo. "That's not a reassuring word to use."

Minamo looked down at the ground as she thought over the situation. A helicopter had been destroyed entering the city, how could ground rescue survive? She guessed the helicopter might have just lost visibility…but she remembered the torn side of the helicopter. She was certain something had attacked it.

"So now what?" asked Masaaki, having replaced his glasses.

"I guess we're staying here" said Yomi. "In the school."

"Ah crap" muttered Tomo and Yukari in unison.

"Can I suggest something?" asked Sakaki quietly. She looked down slightly, avoiding eye contact.

"What is it?" asked Minamo kindly. Some of the people in the room were now watching Sakaki intently.

"How about" started Sakaki. "How about we go to the library?" she said.

"The library?" said Takuya.

"It-it's deeper inside the building" said Sakaki, before falling silent.

"Of course" said Minamo. "It's at the centre of the second floor. No windows, no easy way to get inside" she stated, looking over at the windows of the classroom. They were thin and cheap, never really kept in any heat during the winter…

"Before we do that we have to wait for the others" said Ryo.

"Others?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"I think something is out there" said Jin quietly.

"Of course something's out there, your torn up bloody arm is proof of that" said Megumi. Talk about stating the obvious!

"No…I think something is watching us" said Jin. "I feel like something is."

"Well there's not much we can do. Besides I doubt anything could see through that."

"But what about the lights?" said Jin. "The lights in this room."

"What about them?"

"They're quite bright. And shining out the windows. I bet it could be like a signal flare- easier to spot then a room with no lights on."

Megumi paused for a moment. Quite a lot of the far side of the room was glass. And the lights were very bright. Even though they didn't have much effect on the darkness, perhaps something could see through it. After all something had been able to get Jin's arm.

"What should we do?" she asked, slowly ducking down behind one of the desks.

"Turn off the lights" said Jin. "Turn them off and wait for the others to get back. Is that ok?" he asked.

"Sure" said Megumi, no longer as talkative as she usually was. "Turn them off."

Jin nodded. Feeling slightly woozy he reached up with his good hand and turned off the lights. Megumi could just about see in the room, the small pane of glass in the door allowing light from the corridor to faintly illuminate the room.

"Why don't we get out of here?" asked Megumi.

"We don't want to get lost" replied Jin, feeling tired, pains shooting across the whole of his arm. "And there could be something in the actual school itself. At this moment we're safe. Right? Right?"

"I h-hear something" said Megumi, ducking down behind the desk even further.

"What?"

Megumi backed away, up against the wall, pulling the desk with her. She could feel the vibrations, a regular _thump _as though something was moving towards them. Something big, or heavy…or both.

"Can you feel that?" she asked.

"Yeah, I can now."

"Oh shit!" said Megumi, "Shit shit!" she said softly.

"What?" asked Jin who wanted to sleep now. "What is it?"

"Look at the window" she said, glancing across at it. Mottled reptilian like flesh rested against the window. A large grey eye about the size of Megumi's hand was wide open, peering into the room. She could see nothing else of the creature, its body hidden by the darkness.

"Oh" said Jin, resting his head back against the desk chair behind him as blood started to drip from his soaked bandage. "Crap."

Megumi glanced across at the plump boy as he didn't seem all that scared. In the low light of the classroom she couldn't see how pale his skin now was. She jumped slightly as the glass suddenly smashed inwards, small shards of glass falling across the first two rows of desks by the window.

"It's coming in here" she said in a terrified whisper. "It's coming in!"

"What's so bad about that?" said Jin distantly. "It just wants to say hello."

Megumi went to reach for the door handle when a wet sound caught her attention. She turned to the window as something slowly oozed in through the broken window. It looked like a greyish cross between a tongue and a tentacle. It paused momentarily, having cut itself on glass still remaining in the frame. Then it continued, pushing desks out of the way.

Megumi coughed as the smell hit her. It was like nothing she had smelt before, a horrible rotting odour. Jin barely seemed to notice, his blood loss starting to get the better of him.

"Jin we have to get out of here" she said, her hand slowly reaching up to the handle. The door opened with a click. The far wall groaned as the thing leant against it, its tongue moving in Megumi's direction.

"Why leave?" said Jin, who coughed. The tongue darted in the other direction.

Megumi watched in horror as it reached Jin's foot. It wrapped around it and pulled the boy forwards slightly. She went to go and help- but he was probably going to die anyway. If she helped him she might die as well. She paused, and the tongue had wrapped around both of his legs. She backed away. No way could she help now, the tongue looked muscular and strong.

"Get away" said Jin, batting at it with his good arm. He hardly cared as it wrapped around his body. However then it tightened around his torn arm. The pain shooting throughout the arm brought him out of his stupor and he started to scream as the tongue lifted him up in the air.

"Help me!" he cried out as he was yanked out of the room, vanishing into the shadowy outside. He screamed once more before Megumi heard crunching sounds.

"Screw this" she said, standing up and pulling the door open. She stepped out into the welcoming light of the hallway, yanking the door shut. She almost screamed as she walked into someone.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she asked loudly.

"Wow sorry" said Tanaka. "Kimura sent me to get the students from the detention room."

"I'm the only one" she said.

Tanaka peered through the small glass at the smashed windows and knocked over desks. He reached into one of his trouser pockets, pulling out a large number of keys. Quickly he locked the door before turning to Megumi.

"Let's get out of here" he said. He was slightly shook up. Perhaps if he had got here sooner…

"Yeah" replied Megumi. "Lets." She would really liked to have helped Jin, but she would much rather be alive then have played the role of the hero and been pulled out there. She was certain she had heard the sounds of Jin being eaten. No way did she want that happening to her. There was no one in this place she'd be willing to die for, let alone be eaten for.

"I guess there was nothing you could have done" said Tanaka as they quickly walked along the corridor.

"No. Nothing at all" lied Megumi.

"Oh well, come on lets get going" said Tanaka. Megumi looked up at the janitor.

"Why? Where are we going?" she asked.

"There's some other people in the building. We are going to go and join up with them."

"Oh, ok" said Megumi. She still wasn't sure- what would a middle or older aged man possibly want to do to her…?

"It's hard to tell" said Tanaka looking down at his watch. "But in a few hours it'll actually be night. Damn I hope this is all gone by the morning."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_Day three_

Tomo marched down the corridor with Yomi beside her. Though it was impossible to tell from looking out the windows, it was nearing one in the afternoon. Tanaka walked slightly in front of them, holding a collection of tools.

"Where are we going again?" asked Yomi.

"Are we there yet?" whined Tomo. "My feet hurt."

"We almost are" said Tanaka. "Ah, here we are" he said, coming to a stop.

"What are we supposed to be looking at?" asked Yomi, while Tomo glanced around the corridor looking for…anything.

"This used to be a door but it was sealed up about seven years ago to give added privacy" said Tanaka. "There were a few too many instances of boys coming down this small section when they weren't supposed to."

"Boys?" asked Yomi.

"Yep" said Tanaka picking up a large screwdriver.

He wedged it into a slight groove and whacked down on it. The filler crumbled slightly, and Yomi could see what looked like the meeting of two doors. Tanaka continued hacking away at it, not having many proper tools for the job. With every passing minute it became slightly more obvious that a set of two doors was slowly being revealed.

"So where does this lead to?" asked Tomo. "Underground bunker? Secret wine cellar? Weapons storage place?" she said, her eyes lighting up as she thought of the possibilities.

"Not quite" said Tanaka as he nursed his hand, using the screwdriver having taken its toll. He chipped away a bit more. "Finally" he said. "Can I have your help please?" he asked.

"What for?"

"To push these doors open. They'll probably be a bit stiff."

"What happens if something has managed to get into this room?" asked Yomi, pausing.

"I'll be in the firing line, you'll have time to get out of here" replied Tanaka, pointing to the metal door at the end of the short corridor.

"You better be right" grumbled Tomo. "Those things are creepy" she added.

Yomi was surprised though. They had been in the school now for over forty eight hours, and as of yet there had been no more contact. However occasionally during the nights a deep but loud roaring noise could be heard, as well as a rare loud screech that was able to reach the group as they tried to sleep in the library. The first screech caused Tomo to fall off the 'bed' she had made using four cushioned library chairs.

"Of course I'm right- about this" said Tanaka.

Tomo and Yomi lined up alongside the man and started to push open the door. The wood strained slightly, and they could hear a creaking noise coming from somewhere around them. The door bent inwards slightly, and the started to shriek open as the wood scraped nosily against concrete flooring.

The doors were finally open, and at the far end of the square room was another set of doors leading to the outside. Fortunately these were still locked and closed. Two tiny tinted windows were closed. Yomi recognized the room, but it took a moment for her to realize just what she was looking at.

"Wait! This is the girls changing room!" she said.

"Yep" said Tanaka.

"Did Kimura give you money to do this?" asked Tomo in an accusing tone.

"No" laughed Tanaka. "The boys changing room is completely separate from the main building. This was the only one I could get us into."

"But why?" asked Yomi. Tanaka pointed to an area concealed behind a thick wall.

"This is one of two places in the school that have showers" said Tanaka. "I've been in here two days already, and we don't know how much longer it'll be. I don't know about you, but I feel like a shower" said Tanaka.

"Well I guess that's a point" said Yomi. Her hair did feel greasy, and she did feel a bit…grimy. And one or two people seemed to be having a B.O problem.

"You're certain that Kimura had no part in this?" asked Tomo. "Completely certain?"

"Yes, Kimura never came to ask me about perving on the shower rooms" said the man. "Well at least not this year" he said winking. "That was a joke" he quickly added, noticing the crestfallen look on the girls faces.

He slowly stepped into the changing room, Tomo and Yomi hanging back slightly. Yomi wasn't too sure about entering the room, and Tomo had chosen to follow her friend around.

"What are you doing?" asked Yomi quietly. The _things _outside might be able to hear them.

"Going to try and barricade the door" came the reply. "The doors aren't exactly the thickest around, so every little helps. Don't want something sneaking up on me when I'm in the shower."

* * *

"Jeez this is boring" grumbled Yukari. She had dragged Minamo out of the library to find a room where they wouldn't be surrounded by students and Kimura. "Really boring. I can't get a good TV signal at all."

"Yukari we're trapped in a building, possibly in the middle of a dangerous event and all you can think about is TV?" asked Minamo. "Besides you can just watch it on the internet." So far power had remained throughout the building and all of the equipment in the library worked. Where it not for the dangerous things lurking outside, it might have been almost enjoyable.

"Yeah I guess" said Yukari. "Nyamo" she started, in a more serious tone. Minamo leant forward, was Yukari finally going to show some understanding of the situation?

"Yes?" asked Minamo.

"If I don't look like I'm going to make it…if it seems like that I want you to promise me something."

"What?" asked Minamo, nervous about talking about these things. She had never seen Yukari seem worried about anything other then a beer supply, so what now…

"If it looks like that's going to happen, if it looks like I can't make it out. I want you to promise you'll carry me out of here. Don't even think of leaving me behind or I'll haunt you forever. I will haunt you, even when you're in the shower. I'll be a spirit so it won't matter to me" said Yukari, destroying the serious atmosphere.

"Sure" groaned Minamo.

"Damn right" said Yukari. "You drag me out of here with the last of your strength!"

"And you'll do the same for me?"

"Eh, I'll see what happens when the time comes" replied Yukari, Minamo groaning audibly.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_Day five_

The radio crackled with various new stories. Even after almost a week being trapped, and being no closer to rescue the reports continued to be positive sounding, promising a solution very shortly.

"Those idiots don't know what they're doing" muttered Yukari, switching over the channel over to listen to some music.

"I was listening to that" said Tomo, busy staring over Chiyo.

The smaller girl was busy cooking a meal with the kitchen ovens. So far the power had remained on and they had managed to find quite a few supplies. Yukari hadn't been too keen on the idea of eating meals made from the food the school used- but in the end hunger won. After about ten minutes.

"Like you even know what they were talking about."

"Hmpf" grumbled Tomo, before turning to Chiyo again.

"Anything I can do to help Chiyo-chan?" she asked.

"No, that's fine, I'm fine" said Chiyo nervously. For the last few days they had been able to keep Tomo away from the gas cookers. Everyone wanted that to continue, but it had usually been left to Chiyo to achieve. And by now the stress was getting to her- Tomo's stupidity could only be held back for so long.

And across the dining hall was a large glass window which gave everyone a view of the permanent darkness. Every now and then someone would see something moving within it, something pressing against the window before pulling away again. When that happened it usually resulted in the people sprinting for the stairs or corridor. Usually leaving Chiyo who was preoccupied with the cooking. However whenever Sakaki was present that didn't happen- Chiyo had definitely noticed that.

"It's almost done" said Chiyo. "Miss Yukari could you tell the others?" asked the small girl.

"The others? But I have to go up some steps and things" grumbled the teacher.

"Oh then could you get the plates and everything? Tomo could you go and tell them?"

"I'll go" said Yukari, walking off while mumbling to herself.

"Thank you!" called out Chiyo.

"It smells nice!" said Tomo, now leaning over Chiyo.

"Oh, thank you. Could you get the plates please?"

"Sure. And this time I won't break any. Whoops."

_Day six _

The monitor hummed while Sakaki sat in one of the worn library chairs. Though occasionally she liked to browse other sites, she was looking at various news stories. A publication from America spoke of a devastating unexplained phenomenon that had engulfed Tokyo and was crippling Japan's finance. One paper suggested it was some form of modern smog. Sakaki hadn't bothered to read the article that suggested it was a form of punishment from God.

"I don't know why you're looking at that stuff" said Kagura, who had chosen to sit by the computer right next to Sakaki. "Look at this game I found. I just beat my high score. It's really good!"

"Oh" said Sakaki, closing the tab which declared _Everyone trapped in Tokyo WILL die say scientists. _Another tab appeared denouncing sensationalised reports such as the one Sakaki had just been looking at. She didn't know who to believe.

"It's really good" said Kagura.

Sakaki wasn't sure how to respond. And in a room with twenty five computers, why had Kagura chosen to sit next to the only other person using one? The desks were quite cramped.

"Here's the address" said Kagura, "It's fun."

"Ok."

"Why don't you see how well you do, and then we can compare our scores" said Kagura, finally getting to what she wanted to happen. "It'll be interesting to see who does better."

"Well I guess so" said Sakaki, loading up the flash game. "What am I meant to do?"

"There's the instructions" said Kagura pointing at the screen. "I guess I got a head start, so I won't have a go for a few minutes. But I have to warn you, I did get a pretty good score" she said.

"I'll try. I never really play any of these types of things" said Sakaki.

Kagura sat back in her chair, just about hiding a smug look. She had seen Sakaki for a couple of the games lessons that Yukari's class had. Sakaki always seemed to do well, but Kagura was certain this time she would win. A few minutes went by, Sakaki not saying a word, Yomi reading a book behind them. Finally Sakaki spoke.

"Is this any good?" she asked pointing to the screen. Kagura, almost smirking, went to look at the screen.

"You beat my top score by fifty thousand points?!" she asked loudly.

"How can they do that?" asked Takuya sat at a desk, glancing back at the two girls.

"Do what?" asked Kaorin.

"Act like that. Play games. Don't they realize what our situation is? Don't they realize we'll probably all die? Why are they like that?" asked the boy both anxiously and angrily.

"I'd rather be focusing on a game then thinking about what's outside" said Kaorin. "We're alright for now. It might disappear soon."

"It won't go. We'll be trapped here forever."

"Or maybe we'll wake up tomorrow to find it gone" suggested Kaorin.

"Perhaps you should open your eyes to the real world" suggested Takuya.

"Maybe" said Kaorin moving away from the boy. She sat down next to Chihiro who was quite pale. She nudged her friend who looked across and smiled weakly.

"Hi Kaorin" she said.

"Hi. So erm…" started Kaorin. But then she paused. She had no idea what to say. No idea what conversation to make, what to this in this situation. She doubted she could joke or idly chat about something. She had come over here to talk to her friend, and now found she had nothing to say.

"I started reading this book" said Chihiro, noticing the silence. "Jeez is it boring. I always manage to pick up the boring ones" she said, placing the book down on the table.

"Why would you want to read that one?" asked Kaorin, "You've never read any books from that genre before."

"Yeah" said Chihiro glancing down at the hardback book. A black dog with red eyes was on the cover. "I thought maybe it might have something about…well events like this. Maybe a monster, or an alien or something" said Chihiro wearily.

"Find anything?" asked Kaorin.

"Just that there's meant to be a lot of weird creatures out there" said Chihiro. "But it's written like a textbook. How can you make stories about monsters boring?" she asked.

"Who knows" said Kaorin smiling weakly.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_Day seven_

"What are you doing?" asked Minamo as Tanaka returned from his brief trip holding a small toolkit. "Are you planning on going somewhere?"

"Yep" replied Tanaka as he flipped the small metal box open. He reached in and pulled out a large battered looking torch.

"Are just where are you going?" asked Minamo. Some of the students had gathered to see what was going on. Yukari was busy attempting to bypass the school computer security and download some episodes of the show she had missed.

"I'm going down to the basement to turn off some of the circuit breakers" replied Tanaka. He had been preparing himself mentally, now he couldn't let anyone talk him out of it.

"What? Why?" asked Yomi.

"The basement? Isn't that, like, the worst place to go to?" asked Chihiro.

"It is in horror films" said Tomo nodding her head. "They'll be a guy in a mask down there or something…just don't say I'll be right back."

"Or 'there's nothing down here'" called out Yukari without turning her head.

"We don't know how long the power supply to the building will last" said Tanaka turning on the torch to make sure it worked. He picked up two spare batteries and slipped them into his pocket. "For all we know it could have been cut off already."

"Wouldn't it be dark then?" asked Yomi. "No lights or anything?"

"Nope" replied Tanaka. "The building has its own diesel powered generator. I insisted we had one installed so if there was a power cut in the night the others and I wouldn't break our necks falling down the stairs" said Tanaka grinning. "It'll kick in automatically when we lose the outside power supply. Of course I don't think that's happened yet, I can't remember everything flickering off and then back on."

"S-so if whatever out there destroys the power cables or whatever is used" said Chihiro nervously, "we'd still have lights and stuff for a while?"

"Yep" replied Tanaka. He was starting to feel glad that he'd bought some extra diesel out of his own pocket several months ago…just in case of emergencies. "But of course that only has a finite supply of fuel."

"And we're all cramped in a small part of the school" said Masaaki. "So a lot of power is just going to waste."

"Bingo" replied Tanaka. "So I'm going to go down there, turn off some of the breakers, cut off the power to the unused parts of the school."

"It still sounds dangerous" said Yomi.

"Five minutes. Five minutes and I'll be done" said Tanaka.

"I'll help you" said Ryo pushing out his chair from under the desk. He stood up and stretched. "I could do with getting out of this place for a bit. Besides, you might need help moving something out of the way." Ryo didn't want to admit it, but he was also dying for a cigarette. He hadn't smoked in the library or cafeteria out of common courtesy…but he found his will starting to waver.

"If you really want to, I guess you can help" replied Tanaka. "But I only have one torch."

"We probably won't need it until we reach the basement" said Ryo.

"I-I'm coming as well" said Masaaki, attempting to sound like he wasn't petrified of the prospect. The group turned to face him.

"Why?" asked Chihiro. She knew he was acting as the class president, but he didn't seem like the type to rush headfirst into danger.

"Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I've grown sick of just having water" said Masaaki smiling. "I was thinking I could follow you down to the ground floor and rummage through some of the vending machines, gather up some food and drink supplies."

"Sounds silly" said Yukari.

"I'll probably get quite a few snacks" replied Masaaki.

"I support this idea" said Yukari, without turning to face the others.

"I'll help you too" said Yusuke, standing up and stretching his arms out. "If we both go, we can bring back more stuff why Ryo and Mr Tanaka go to the basement."

"You could use our backpacks" said Chiyo holding up her small cute backpack.

"Pah you'd only get about one bar of chocolate in there" said Tomo as she picked up her own bag. Unzipping it she then held it upside down, simply allowing everything to fall to the floor. "You can get a lot more chocolate in that one" said Tomo in a happy tone.

"Here's my bag too" said Kaorin shyly offering her own bag forwards.

"And if I borrow Yomi's I can come and help too!" said Tomo.

"Why don't you just use your own, and I give mine to Yusuke?" asked Yomi dryly.

"I want your one!" said Tomo. Yomi paused before turning to the two boys.

"I'll come and help you out" she stated, before smirking towards Tomo. Yomi felt like getting out of the room for a while. And they were just going downstairs, she'd done that dozens of times just last week. She felt slight nerves, but she had a feeling she would be fine. Just a five or ten minute trip…

"Don't forget to bring back lots of cola!" called out Tomo as Yomi stepped into the corridor. The light bulbs shone brightly, yet on the other side of the walls, the outside was pitch black, the entrance gate not visible, the playground not visible. Yomi couldn't even see the part of the wall that jutted out just to the side of the window. How long would this stay here for?

The groups' footsteps echoed as they slowly made their way down the chipped stairs. Yomi suddenly found herself thinking about how many dozens of students must have used this stairs in the past- and whether they'd ever be used again.

"Quiet down here still" commented Masaaki, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Yeah" replied Yusuke who was the least nervous of the group. Even Tanaka seemed to be showing more nerves. "I guess our group really is the only group left in this building huh? We would have heard others by now."

Yomi didn't say anything, but at this point she doubted they'd find anything other then more bodies in the building. She wondered how many had escaped, how many had made it home before this had all started. What had happened to those trapped on buses and in cars? For some reason despite the large amount of windows throughout the building, nothing had smashed into the corridors close to them. They hadn't encountered anymore creatures, and were even able to make their way to the cafeteria with ease.

Why didn't the creatures outside come for them? Were they gone? Had their hunger been satisfied? Or were the creatures simply toying with them?

"Well then" said Tanaka interrupting her thoughts. "I guess this is where we separate."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"The stairway to the basement is along here" said Tanaka pointing, while pulling out a set of keys with his other hand. "When I turn off the breakers, sections of the buildings will lose their power" said the man.

"But not the library?" asked Masaaki.

"Or here?" asked Yomi.

"Not the library or in here" said Tanaka smiling. "But everything beyond the far corridor doors will be turned off" he said pointing towards a set of doors at one end of the corridor, and then to another set on the opposite side. "So if you're afraid of the dark, I suggest staying in the part of the corridor" said the janitor with a faint wink. Despite the jokey talk, Yomi was certain what he had said was also advice, something to avoid any problems…

"Well come on Mr Ryo, lets go and have a peek down in the basement" said Tanaka, to the group. "Oh and I'm sorry, but I don't have any keys to open up the vending machines" added Tanaka before he turned and set off along the corridor, the spiky haired boy following the man.

"Well I guess we'd better get to work then" said Masaaki.

"I've always wanted to break one of these vending machines" commented Yusuke. "Last year they kept on eating up my money without giving me my drink…or snack. Bloody machines."

"I sure Tomo's broken one or two by accident in her time" said Yomi. She never really talked to Masaaki, and had never seen Yusuke before, not being greatly interested in the school sports teams. However she didn't want silence to return to the corridor.

"Well let's get going" said Yusuke delivering a kick into the front of the machine. He grinned as the front cracked inward, and with another powerful kick the fizzy drink innards of the machine were revealed. Carefully sticking his hand inside, he grabbed hold of bottles of drink.

Masaaki nodded after watching the boy and delivered a kick to the vending machine closest to the door on the far left side of the corridor section. He grimaced and limped backwards as the front of the vending machine held firm.

"Damn thing" he commented as he blushed.

* * *

With a metallic screech the door eased open. Tanaka grinned at the grimacing boy.

"Whisper quiet isn't it huh?" he asked the boy who looked up at him.

"Yeah, can't hear a thing" replied Ryo. "Only because I'm now deaf."

"You'll live" said Tanaka reaching in and flipping up a light switch. The slightly dulled bulb flickered into life revealing a small set of wooden stairs, and a further door down below. Tanaka stepped aside as Ryo peeked down.

"Those stairs will hold right?" he asked the man.

"Well they haven't let me down before."

"That doesn't sound very reassuring" said the boy.

"Well I guess I'll have to go down first" said Tanaka stepping down onto the first step. He was cautious, slightly nervous. He had no worries about the stairway; he knew it'd hold both of their weight without any problem. He was worried about what would be waiting behind the door at the bottom of the stairs. Worried about something simply waiting for its next prey, to have someone to tear apart…

* * *

Kimura sat with his back against the cushioned chair, head hanging back over the side. As his glasses started to slip off he reached up and pushed them back in place. His suit jacket rested on the table, and despite his shower (in the girls changing room, his dream!) he still wore his tie. However it hung down low, the top button undone. He didn't want to lose the tie; after all it had been given to him by…

"Hey Mr Kimura, what's up with you?" asked Tomo sitting down in the chair directly across the table from the man. After all she didn't want to sit _too _close to him.

"Just worried" replied the man without lifting up his head. "Just worried."

"Worried? What are you worried about?" asked Tomo without any sense of tact.

"Just…I'm just worried about my family."

"Family?" asked Kagura sitting down beside Tomo. It was the second furthest seat at the table from Kimura.

"Yep" said Kimura nodding his head. "My wife…my daughter. I'm sure they're ok, she was off school sick, and they'd both be at home. I'm sure they're fine, yeah they must be. I bet they're just worried about me."

Tomo and Kagura glanced at each other, Kimura not noticing, his eyes still looking up towards the ceiling. Neither of them wanted to say it.

"You have a wife?!" said Yukari in an incredulous tone.

"Is there anything she doesn't listen to?" whispered Kagura to herself.

"Yes" said Kimura sitting up and nodding his head. He hadn't noticed the astonishment in Yukari's voice. "I guess I just never told you. My daughter is just as beautiful as my wife, and she's very good at playing the piano. I don't know why, I was never all that good at instruments; I guess it must be from her mother. Sometimes my wife jokes that apart from that my daughter got all her best attributes from me."

"She's a pervert?" asked Tomo, Kagura coughing in surprise.

"Huh?" asked Kimura who had been busy talking to Yukari who was now trying to hold back a laugh. Kagura too had turned away from Kimura, suddenly deeply interested in the encyclopaedia section behind her.

"Oh I didn't say anything" replied Tomo quickly. "So piano huh?" she asked trying to change the subject.

At the table just behind Chihiro glanced to Kaorin. She looked surprised.

"Wow so Kimura's married? I wonder what sort of weirdo is married to him!"

"Yeah" replied Kaorin in a sullen tone. "I wonder." _He's married and he's still been creeping on me ever since I got here!_

_

* * *

_Masaaki dumped the loaded backpack on the floor and walked towards the corridor doors. Yomi glanced up and watched as he pushed them open. She stepped away from the broken machine in front of her, hoping she wouldn't be asked to pay for a replacement when this all ended. She turned to Masaaki and called out.

"Hey what are you doing?"

Yusuke glanced up briefly before returning to the vending machine.

"I'm just going to the one down there" said Masaaki pointing. "They have a better choice of chocolate."

"But Tanaka said about the lights…"

"Yeah he just said they'd be going on" replied Masaaki. "Don't worry; I'm not afraid of the dark. And they're still on, see" he added. Yomi could see the corridor beyond the doors were still illuminated.

"Well I guess so…"

"Don't worry about it Yomi" said Yusuke tucking another bottle into the bag. "He could run from there back to the door in seconds…and if it comes to it I'll go and help him" said Yusuke smiling kindly. Yomi looked at the boy for a moment. She could guess why he had been chosen as a captain.

"I'm not going to stop you, after all it was your idea to come down here and do this" said Yomi. "But just be careful."

"Can do" said Masaaki pushing open the doors. They eased back into place as he walked along the corridor. He briefly turned and waved through the glass towards the two students.

"Man I can't wait to have some cola" said Yusuke.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Behind the small girl Takuya 'locked' the computer before standing up and walking toward the library toilets. As he vanished from view Sakaki sat next to Chiyo who had been very quiet for the last day or so.

"Hi…there. Hi" said Sakaki, not quite sure about what to say. She had only known Chiyo for a short while, every now and then she felt that the young transfer student might be slightly scared of her. She guessed she was quite a tall and imposing figure- especially for someone so young…and adorable!

"Oh. Hi Sakaki" said Chiyo, forcing a smile.

"You seem a bit…erm upset?" suggested rather then stated Sakaki. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, I'm just a bit worried I guess" said Chiyo. "My parents might have got trapped at work like I did here, so I'm worried no one's been feeding my dog." Sakaki chose to avoid asking about the parents, to prevent the small girl from facing the possibility they might have…suffered a similar fate to many others.

"Oh well dogs can be clever sometimes" said Sakaki.

"Really? He's just silly" said Chiyo nodding her head, and smiling naturally this time. "Just a silly fluffball who likes biscuits."

"Oh yeah dogs can be smart" said Sakaki, unaware she now found herself speaking more easily. "Especially when food is involved. If there's one thing dogs are good at, it's getting food. I bet when you get home you'll find the kitchen in a mess, and he'll be looking up at you guiltily."

"Yeah" said Chiyo grinning. "And I bet he'll be grumpy when he sees me again, wondering why I took so long."

"Yep" said Sakaki nodding her head. She was determined this little girl would leave this building alive. She would see her parents again; she would be reunited with her dog. For the first time in months Sakaki felt the knot of determination in her chest.

* * *

Lazily the light swung back and forth slightly, scattering shadows across the cramped room. Ryo swore as he hit his foot against metal piping, and apologised to the janitor.

"Don't worry, I hear a lot worse when I tell kids to stop smoking on the school grounds" said Tanaka glancing over at the hole in the wall on the far side.

The hole had been the first thing the duo had noticed after hastily switching on the light. They had frozen, the space behind the broken wall an unnatural dark, but nothing had come forth from the darkness beyond. Both had been certain that they heard something moving. Tanaka had been the first to enter, and had found himself waiting, feeling beads of sweat running down his face even though it was cool in the maintenance room.

Nothing had come.

"So what do I do?" asked Ryo, flicking a glance back at the hole.

"There isn't really anything for you to do" replied Tanaka, stopping in front of a machine Ryo hadn't seen before. "There's nothing in the way, nothing I need any help for. I just have to flip a few switches" added the man, lifting up a transparent plastic cover.

"Oh I see" said Ryo, feeling the lighter in his pocket, fidgeting. He normally wasn't one to fidget. _Nerves. Just nerves._

"Let's just hope I've remembered which section is represented by which switch" said the man smiling. "Don't want to end up in the dark down here, feeling around the place like an idiot."

"Yeah" said Ryo, not much in the mood for speaking. Tanaka didn't flip the switches at first, instead checking on (what appeared to Ryo) a large metallic and plastic box.

"What're you looking at?" asked Ryo, not wanting to look back at the hole.

"Just checking on the generator" replied Tanaka. "Isn't in use at the moment as you can tell by the fact we aren't being deafened by the damn thing. And it's full. Time to turn off the lights I guess."

* * *

Yomi hissed out in pain as part of the shattered glass sliced across her finger. It wasn't very deep, and she couldn't see any blood but it still stung quite a bit.

"Are you ok?" asked Yusuke.

"What? Yeah I'm fine, just cut myself" said Yomi. "Guess I should have been paying more attention!"

"Well I've come pretty close to cutting myself a few times as well" said Yusuke grinning. "Guess I'm just lucky at the moment!"

"Yeah I guess…can you hear something?" asked Yomi looking upwards.

"Maybe…is it a humming type sound?"

"Yeah that's it" replied Yomi. "I don't think I've heard it before."

"The old guy's probably reached the power box thingy" said Yusuke. "Sounds electrical."

"Must be it" said Yomi looking to one side at the corridor beyond the doorway suddenly descended into darkness. She turned the other way to look at Masaaki who didn't flinch as the lights suddenly went up.

He swore as he dropped something and bent down to pick it up. He glanced upwards, towards the glass in the doorway as he heard Yomi calling something.

"Don't worry!" called out Masaaki as he stood back up. He stuck up a thumb. "I'm not afraid of the dark."

As he finished speaking he became aware of a dull thud. He didn't so much hear it, as he felt it through his feet, the floor shaking underfoot slightly. Back in the lit section Yusuke and Yomi also felt it.

"Hmmm, that doesn't feel much like electrical stuff to me" said Yusuke. "Feels more like…"

"Footsteps" muttered Yomi. "Masaaki I think you should get out of there now!" called out Yomi again.

Just through the glass she saw him seemingly shaking her head in disdain towards her.

"It's not about being afraid of the bloody dark" said Yomi to herself. She turned back to the glass as a faint motion caught her attention. Masaaki had vanished from view. The idiot had dropped something again.

"Are you done?" asked Yomi.

"Yeah" said Yusuke zipping up the backpack. "Why?"

"I dunno why, but I want to get back up to the library" replied Yomi. "I want to get out of here."

"Don't worry" said Yusuke quietly. "I'm a bit scared as well. But what about Ryo and the older guy?"

"We'll call down to them" said Yomi.

"Sounds good to me. Hey Masaaki! Hey Masaaki we're leaving!" yelled out Yusuke.

No reply.

"I hope he isn't sulking" said Yomi. As Yusuke began to march to the doorway, the girl sped up, catching up with the boy. Yusuke pushed open the door, and then they knew why there had been no reply.

His legs were slumped on the floor slightly, as though he had been standing up from sitting cross legged. Bars of chocolate were scattered across the floor. The school trousers were stained slightly, and drops of blood were specked across the floor.

That was because above the waist, just above the worn looking leather belt was the place at which Masaaki's body ended. Ragged red flesh and gleaming white bone stared the two students in the face. Slowly at first the legs moved forwards, before finally falling to the floor with a faint splat, flecking the door with blood and viscera, narrowly avoiding Yomi. Yomi was certain the far end of the corridor was somehow getting darker, and thought she saw movement. Probably just her imagination.

She wasn't going to risk it.

"Let's go!" she yelled out, turning around and sprinting for the stairway. Yusuke ran too, pausing to pick up Masaaki's filled backpack, before also heading towards the stairs. From a combination of their frenzied echoing footsteps and panicked breathing, they didn't hear the low roar from the corridor.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Tanaka sat at the computer still, typing away. Despite the fact that Kagura had again returned to use a computer, he was still far away from everyone, typing at the isolated computer in the corner of the room. Kagura didn't mind him, some people were just shy. She was just glad that despite their time spent here, the internet was still working.

"So I heard you found a game" said Tomo materializing behind Kagura, glancing over her shoulder at the screen. How irritating. "And Sakaki beat you."

"Yeah?" grumbled Kagura. "So?"

"Well I want to try to" replied Tomo. "Naturally I'll be aiming to beat Sakaki's score, after all yours isn't the high score."

"Ok, ok" said Kagura, looking forward to beating someone. "Just let me quickly check the news."

"Boooring" said Tomo sitting at the computer beside Kagura. She glanced across at the girl as she suddenly shot upright with a smile on her face. "What is it? Did you win the lottery? If so give me some."

"Hey Yukari, Miss Kurosawa, can one of you turn on the radio please?" called out Kagura.

"Turn on your own bloody radio" replied Yukari, Minamo standing up and turning on the small radio.

* * *

Slowly Tanaka pushed the plastic cover back down in place and turned to face Ryo.

"Well I guess that's that" said the man. "I hope those three collected some good snacks, I'm starving" added Tanaka with a wink.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too" said Ryo, only now becoming aware of his empty, grumbling stomach.

"Awwwww" groaned Tanaka, reaching out his arms as he stretched. "Time to go b-"

Ryo swore as the light bulb above suddenly shattered, throwing the room into darkness.

"Bloody thing" said Tanaka as he fumbled for the torch. "I knew that damn bulb was getting on a bit. Should have changed the bloody thing last week. Are you ok Ryo? You didn't get any shards in your eyes or anywhere else?"

"No, no I'm fine" said Ryo, turning his head as he heard something. He was saw he'd heard a faint _whooshing _sound. Imagination? He sighed in relief as the torch was turned on, the beam of light cutting across the room.

"Come on, lets go" said Ryo.

He heard a faint grunt, and the light began to jerk up and down, shining into his eyes.

"Hey what are you doing?" asked the boy, just as the torch suddenly fell to the floor. It rolled along the ground, lighting up parts of the discoloured walls as it made its way towards Ryo.

"Hey you dropped this" said Ryo, leaning down and grabbing it. "Mr Tanaka?"

Slowly he lifted the torch upwards, revealing Tanaka's jerking torso. The light reached upwards, towards the ne-

"Oh shit!" yelled out Ryo. As the light rose it revealed the man's neck and face- he saw what looked like a grey tentacle wrapped around the man's throat. The whites of Tanaka's eyes were revealed, his jaw hanging down slightly. As the torch shone on the macabre spectacle, the tentacle bubbled slightly, and with a hiss pulled away from the man. Ryo had been turning for the door even as the head fell backwards, pulling it open as the detached head fell to the floor with a thud.

"Shit! Shit!" said Ryo running up the stairway. It had cut Tanaka's head off! It must have been only twenty seconds at most and it had cut his bloody head off!

He allowed a glance back at the room, and was certain it was somehow getting darker. He had almost reached the top of the stairway when he felt something grab his ankle. He started to feel a slight burn, and then for the first time in his life Ryo Iwata was screaming.

He was pulled down, smacking his back against the steps, the torch smashing against the wall. Reaching into his pocket as he felt the burning, he pulled out his lighter, and clicked on it, hoping to god it would work.

"I'm gonna burn you too fucker" he said, swearing for the first time in living memory.

The small flame awakened and he held it down. Already the mottled grey tentacle was pulling away from his leg, bubbling slightly as Ryo swung the small lighter in its direction. He was certain he heard a shriek from within the maintenance room as the flame burnt the skin. The tentacle pulled back into the darkness.

Freed, Ryo started to pull his way up the stairs, gasping as he finally reached the corridor. Turning onto his back his kicked the door shut. It screeched to a shut, not fully shut. Nothing followed.

He looked down at his leg. Below the wound the trouser leg was missing, and his had a circle of burnt flesh around his calve where he had been grabbed. The flesh was cauterized, no bleeding, with the wound about half a centimetre deep. Ryo shivered as he thought about how his leg could have been burnt through, his foot pulled away from him in the darkness. Nothing made its way up the steps towards him.

For the first time in several days Ryo smoked.

* * *

"I-I can't quite hear it" said Yuka quietly, glancing up towards the small group.

"Yeah turn it up!" said Yukari turning up the volume.

"It didn't need to be that loud" said Chihiro.

"…_tion Tokyo. A rescue mission is about to start led by the Japanese military. Please remain inside, in secure places. The first areas to receive aid will be areas of high civilian populations, starting with hospitals, schools and Tokyo University. The military are on their way, please remain secure until they reach you. Attention Tokyo. A rescue mission…_"

"Rescue mission?" said Kaorin.

"About bloody time" said Yukari in a grumpy tone.

"Hear that Chiyo" said Sakaki quietly towards the small girl. "A rescue mission. Soon they'll be here and we'll get to leave."

"Yeah" said Chiyo, smiling. "Oh, I just hope they're kind."

"Military?" said Tomo to herself. "Cool, I bet they'll have loads of guns and grenades and stuff. Maybe I'll get to have one."

"Pah, this was probably caused by the military" said Yukari in a knowing tone.

"Why do you say that?" asked Minamo.

"It's always the military's fault in films and books" said Yukari. "Even manga. Pah I bet it was a weapon testing that went wrong."

"Tested in Tokyo?" asked Kimura. "That doesn't make sense."

"You really are an idiot Yukari" said Minamo. "This isn't a film."

The group turned as the main library door suddenly swung open. A shocked looking Yomi appeared, followed by Yusuke who appeared more confused then scared.

"What's wrong?" asked Minamo.

"Probably didn't have any low sugar drinks" said Tomo.

"Miss Yomi, Miss Yomi you missed the announcement! There's going to be a rescue mission!" called out Chiyo.

"Rescue…mission?" asked Yomi. She bowed her head. If they had just waited another hour…even half an hour…Masaaki would have been fine. And where was Ryo and the janitor?

"What happened down there" asked Minamo.

As Yomi prepared to answer, Kagura turned in her computer chair and glanced at Takuya. He had been on the computer for ages, yet hadn't told them about the announcement. Perhaps he was shy…perhaps he was avoiding news sites. She forgot about that as Yomi began to explain that their group was now one person smaller.


	16. Chapter 16

**Part II**

**Extended contact**

Chapter 16

"So Kozo, what do you make of this all?" asked Colonel Park.

"Make of it?" asked Major Kozo Akagi, itching his moustache, a nervous habit. Not that he was afraid of Park, the man was an old friend. "Well it seems a bit strange."

"A bit strange?" replied Park. "It's downright bloody bizarre. Bizarre I tell you."

"Well I'm just glad you're going to be leading my squad" said Kozo. "It'll be good to have you around."

"Bah, don't make me laugh, we all know you're annoyed that you don't get to be in charge" said Park.

"Well it is quite annoying" said Kozo. "How about a drink before we leave. There's a fifty fifty chance it could be poisoned" added the man without changing his expression.

"I like those odds" replied Park. "After all we all know you're too tight with your money to actually buy poison."

"You saw through me again" said Kozo, smiling as he poured the drink.

Private Maebara quickly checked the American made M4 carbine before placing it down on the desk. A member of the Central Readiness Force, a specialised part of the Japan Ground Self-defence Force he was slightly nervous about his first mission. He had experience, but had transferred to the CRF shortly after it was established, and so had yet to work with many of the others.

He looked in the mirror, groaning as he touched his head. Despite not yet being the wrong side of twenty four his hairline was starting to recede at a dramatic rate. He groaned once more before placing the helmet on top of his head.

"All ready to go superstar?" asked Fuji, one of the soldiers who had transferred along with Maebara.

"About as ready as I'll ever be" replied Maebara as he yawned.

"So off to rescue a bunch of school kids" said Fuji. "Wonder why we need guns for that."

"Better to not need them and still have them anyway huh?" suggested Maebara.

"But not quite a combat operation huh?"

"It isn't too bad" spoke up Yamaguchi, by far the shortest of the group. "There might be some nice older schoolgirls there too. Maybe they'll be glad to see us."

"Maybe" said Maebara with a shrug.

"Perhaps the heating went off, and they had to burn their clothes to keep warm, so they'll just be in their underwear" said Yamaguchi in a hopeful tone.

"They're in a school, I suspect they'd burn books first" said Arai, the oldest none officer member of a group.

"If they have any books to burn" replied Yamaguchi.

Maebara yawned as he slid his secondary weapon into its holster. A SIG P220, a semi automatic pistol that all members of the team carried. He turned as another member poked him on the shoulder. He could never remember the guys name.

"What's up?" asked Maebara.

"Just who are those guys?" whispered the man quietly, pointing discreetly at two people sat in the far corner of the small room, the only people who weren't Japanese.

"I dunno" replied Maebara. "Perhaps some sort of observers?"

"Perhaps something like this has happened in another country and they're experts" suggested Yamaguchi.

"I've never heard of anything like this happening before" muttered Fuji.

Silence fell across the room as the metal door swung open. Fuji, Maebara, Yamaguchi, Arai and the four other members of the team stood to attention. The two people in the corner slowly stood up.

Colonel Park entered, followed by Kozo. Kozo stood back as the Colonel addressed the group.

"Well as you all know it has been a few days now, and whatever is covering Tokyo hasn't dispersed. Shortly following the arrival of the unidentified mass, a helicopter was destroyed after its crew were killed having entered the area. In the last seven hours we have been able to have continued access into the outskirts of the city. It seems as though we have passage now. Our mission is similar to that of several other CRF squads about to leave. We will reach the target area, the school referenced in the dossier, and retrieve all civilians present. Kozo and our two guests will be in the transport vehicle for the civilians. The rest of you will travel with me in the armoured carrier."

Without any more words the soldiers retrieved their weapons and equipment, stepping outside. Fuji glanced at the transport vehicle.

"Not very big is it?" he said. "You couldn't fit a whole school in there."

"Maybe they aren't expecting us to find many survivors" suggested Yamaguchi in a spooky tone. "Tokyo is a ghooost town…I mean city."

"Shut up" grumbled Arai.

"Sorry Mr moody" said Yamaguchi holding up his hands.

"Not moody, but I'd just prefer not to get in that mindset" replied Arai.

"What are you talking about?" asked Fuji.

"Whatever happened in Tokyo was bloody strange" said Arai as the men boarded the vehicle. Maebara took one last look at the temporary base before the thick door was closed.

"Well, now we get to live in a tin can for a bit" joked Yamaguchi.

* * *

"So what now?" asked Kagura as Kimura pulled at his tie.

"Well waiting would be a good idea" replied Yukari sarcastically.

"I agree with Yukari, but not with the tone" said Minamo. "We just have to wait here until the rescue team turns up."

"But how long will they take?" asked Tomo. Yomi sat at a nearby desk, having fallen quiet. "I guess we don't have to worry about traffic."

"But can they get here?" asked Yuka. "I mean…well…I saw what happened to people who were outside. They…they got torn apart…"

"I'm sure they'll get here" said Chihiro. "I mean they are trained for disasters and stuff. Right?"

"I'm sure they'll get here. They'll do that at least" said Takuya without turning to face the group.

For the first time in two or three days Kaorin found hope returning to her. Recently she had found herself becoming worried, depressed, thinking there was no way out. But despite the slightly worried atmosphere, she could tell people were getting more hopeful. Even Takuya sounded positive for a change. Now they just had to wait.

Kimura finished fidgeting with his tie. "Shouldn't Tanaka and the other have been back by now? They've been gone a while now."

Yomi didn't speak.

"They had turned off the power" said Yusuke. "We saw the lights on either side of the corridor go off. They should have finished by now."

Yuka looked across at the trio of teachers nervously.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The lead vehicle hastily made its way along the deserted streets- deserted of people at least. Empty cars seemed to give the carrier a macabre guard of honour as they drove towards the school. A short period of time ago another team had separated, leaving the main road, leaving Park's squad by themselves.

Park had been glad. Just like with this vehicle, the others had been adorned with bright spotlights along the front and length of the framework in an attempt to pierce through the unnatural darkness. Further along the road still remained eerily dark considering the power of the lights, but Park had grown tired of the close by lights shining in his eyes.

"So how long until we reach the school?" asked Park.

"It should be about ten, maybe fifteen minutes sir" replied the driver. "As long as the roads don't get more jammed. If we stumble across an accident we might have to leave the main road."

"I see" replied Park, leaning back in his seat. The driver wasn't a regular of his squad. _He just came free with the vehicle_ thought the man with a smirk. "So have you ever seen anything like this before?"

"No sir I haven't" replied the driver, eyes focused on the road. "If you want my opinion sir, this is strange. Really strange."

"I agree" said Park, glancing into side mirror at the large transport truck just behind them. Even though that also carried bright lights, it was still almost in twilight. Kozo drove that large vehicle, the only member of the squad with specialised vehicle training. Park checked the holstered pistol. _Really strange. _

* * *

"So you aren't coming with us?" asked Tomo.

"Of course I'm not!" replied Yomi angrily, her hands still shaking. "Why would I want to go down there again?!"

"Jeez sorry" said Tomo in a tone not fitting for the situation they were in. "Just thought I'd ask" she added before joining Yukari and Kimura.

Yomi glanced down at the desk. Suddenly she felt a wave of fear and anxiety pass over her. What if Tomo got hurt? Did Yomi want angry words to have been the last thing she said to her friend?

"Hey Tomo" said Yomi in a quiet, slightly embarrassed tone.

"Yeah?" asked Tomo, turning around while still walking, narrowly avoiding a desk.

"Just…just be careful down there ok" said Yomi, her voice getting ever quieter. "Don't…don't do anything stupid."

"Don't worry Yomi! We've got Yukari, she'll do stupid stuff!" said Tomo shortly before Yomi groaned out loud.

"Oh really?" asked Yukari in a dark tone as Kimura pulled open the door.

The two teachers and one stupid student stepped out into the corridor. Many of the remaining students watched them leave. Yomi gazed at the door as it started to close, and was surprised as Tomo quickly reappeared, waving a quick goodbye. Yomi smiled to herself and quickly waved, as the door shut on Tomo who yelped in surprise. With that she pulled away from the door and it finally closed shut.

"So what are we doing?" asked Tomo as they marched along the corridor, Yukari glancing out of the windows, Kimura glancing down at the other two's legs.

"We're here to find those people who haven't come back yet. The older guy and the jock with the spiky hair."

"He didn't seem like much of a jock to me" commented Kimura, glancing up from the back of Tomo's legs.

"Fine then, the spiky haired kid who isn't a jock. And the janitor guy."

"What if we can't find them?" asked Tomo.

"Then we're going back to the library" replied Yukari. "There's no bloody way I'm going off on a trek around the school- especially if what Yomi said was true. No way."

"Why, are you a coward?" asked Tomo.

"Ah Tomo, words cannot hurt me. But when I fail you for insulting me, you'll end up hurt" replied Yukari evilly.

"I'll be good!" said Tomo sticking up both of her thumbs.

"That's a good girl" said Yukari.

"So what is the plan if whatever is down there decides to try and say hello?" asked Kimura, his voice surprisingly calm. Somehow he actually seemed calmer then usual, but Tomo assumed that must be because he didn't have a classroom of schoolgirls in front of him.

"If whatever is down pops up its ugly head?" said Yukari. "Run like the bloody wind."

"What a great plan" said Kimura with a faint sarcastic tone.

"We could fight it off!" suggested Tomo.

"No way in hell" replied Yukari.

* * *

Kozo grimaced as a discarded car bounced off the side of the large transport vehicle. He just hoped it hadn't been scratched. With the rest of the road ahead clear, he allowed a quick glance up towards the secured weapons cabinet, weapons and ammunition stored behind a locked reinforced glass door. He had decided against the carbine, and was instead going to make use of the shotgun safely nestled in the black foam of the weapons cabinet.

"Tell me" he asked the two men behind him without turning his head. "Do either of you want to bring a weapon with you?" he asked. The transport also held four of the semi automatic pistols the rest of the team had equipped.

Glancing up into the rear-view mirror he saw the sandy blond haired man shake his head.

"I don't like weapons."

"How about you?" asked Kozo. He hadn't yet asked for names, and wasn't going to for the time being.

The shaved head nodded.

"I'll take one with me. If it's allowed."

"Sure. You have weapons training?" asked Kozo. He had assumed the man was military.

"I've had a bit of small arms training" replied the man with the shaved head.

* * *

Kimura slowly stepped out into the corridor, taking a glance at both sides. He adjusted his glasses and looked again. He was certain there were no dangerous things lingering around the lit corridor. Beyond this section he didn't know.

"Is it ok?" hissed out Yukari.

"Have you been attacked?" added Tomo.

"I'm ok" said Kimura, his head quickly turning as he heard a groan. He stepped further out into the corridor.

"Hello there Ryo" said the teacher, the boy with his back to the wall, and a nasty wound just above his ankle. The boy looked up and waved with a hand holding a cigarette.

"Smoking isn't usually allowed on school grounds but I'll let it pass for today" said Kimura as Tomo stepped out beside him. Eventually Yukari decided it was safe and stepped out as well. She glanced towards the main entrance, at the far end of the lit corridor, on the opposite side of the corridor from where the rest of Masaaki sat. She couldn't see the playground or the car park beyond it.

"No change there" she muttered to herself. The last few days had been pissing her off.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Slowly the bulky vehicle turned into what must have once been the car park, the bright lights of the vehicle illuminating the school sign. Park smiled to himself- well at least they were at the right place. On more then one mission he'd found himself completely off target. Park glanced out of the window as they passed a few cars in a near empty car park. He watched as the large transport trailer behind them carefully made its way off of the main road and into the school grounds.

Slowly Park eased back in the chair and turned to face the driver.

"You're staying in here correct?" asked Park.

"Correct sir" replied the driver. "I am not trained for these types of missions."

"So you're sure you don't want to come with the squad?"

"Don't worry sir, I haven't been afraid of things under my bed since I was five" replied the driver.

"I see. But I want you to keep the internal radio on so we can communicate with you at all times" replied Park.

"Understood sir."

* * *

"Think you can stand?" asked Kimura.

"Probably, but it'll hurt like hell" replied Ryo. Kimura stepped forward slightly as he noticed Ryo's shaking hand. The boy pretended not to notice, but Kimura could tell he was scared.

"What happened down here?" asked the teacher.

"Yeah, what happened to that janitor guy?" added Yukari.

"He- he was killed down there. Some…some _thing _got him, grabbed him when the lights went off. It-it wrapped around his damn neck and killed him!"

"Oooh gruesome" replied Yukari, both Kimura and Ryo turning to give her a look.

"Can you hear something?" asked Tomo having not been paying attention to the conversation.

"Yeah they're called voices" replied Yukari sarcastically.

Tomo slowly approached the main entrance doors, turning to the large window next to them and pressing her face up against the window, not really hearing Kimura's protests. Yukari stepped forward to join her student before suddenly turning back with her hands raised up towards her face. Bright lights shone through into the corridor from outside as a large looking vehicle rumbled along the pathway. Tomo could see large lights attached to the front and sides. Despite their size and brightness, the darkness still lingered a short distance away.

"That's not a road" said Yukari, "They've completely missed the car park."

"I think this might be the rescue team?" suggested Kimura.

"About bloody time" grumbled Yukari.

The students and teachers stood together, watching the unfolding scene as an even larger vehicle emerged from behind the lead. A strong door from the side of the lead vehicle descended down onto the floor, acting as steps as masked soldiers exited the armoured vehicle.

"Cool, guns" said Tomo.

The men stood waiting as a final man left the vehicle. He too was masked, from this distance looked to be in the same uniform, but the others seemed to be waiting for him, looking towards him as he stepped onto the ground.

"Must be the leader" commented Tomo.

"Thanks for the amazing observation" chided Yukari.

Tomo didn't say anything, still engrossed with the sudden appearance of the soldiers. The door of the vehicle automatically started to rise, closing. However the soldiers still stood waiting, bathed in the light from the vehicles, checking the area beyond the light as though expecting something to be waiting within the dark.

Tomo hadn't seen them leave the large trailer, but suddenly three men joined up with the larger group. One was masked, holding a shotgun and in an army uniform. The other two wore white biohazard suits.

"Well what's that all about?" asked Yukari.

The lead man seemed to signal something, and then in formation they marched towards the entrance, straight towards the small group.

"They're…er coming towards us" said Yukari.

"They're a rescue team, isn't that a good thing?" said Kimura.

"Haven't you ever seen any movies?" asked Yukari. "The military is always to blame when stuff like this happens! And then they track down survivors and neutralise 'em to prevent the truth from getting out. Like in zombie and alien films."

"Have you ever thought about becoming a science fiction author?" asked Kimura.

"Shut up" said Yukari, stepping backwards into the corridor as the soldiers closed in on the doors. Tomo hardly moved, merely stepping sideways, out of the way, as the lead soldier opened the door. He stepped in, his weapon pointed straight at the group.

"Ah crap" muttered Yukari in an _I told you so _tone.

The weapon stayed in position for a long few seconds before the safety was switched on and the weapon pointed down to the ground. He stepped out of the way as the leader (as observed by Tomo) entered the school building.

"I am Colonel Park" hissed the man's voice through the gasmask. "What is the situation here? Biological, chemical, terrorist?"

"We're not really sure" said Kimura, Tomo still engrossed with the guns, and Yukari not wanting to say anything in fear of 'knowing too much'. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"I see" hissed the gasmask once more. "Are you the only civilians present?"

"No there's a few more left upstairs" replied Kimura who much as before was still surprisingly calm. "There's a small group of us here, we've been holed up in here since this all started."

"Understood. Have any casualties been suffered? Any injured?"

"Well my leg's a bit messed up" said Ryo, speaking up for the first time.

"A couple of people have been killed" replied Kimura. "Probably more then I know about."

"How so? After eating or coming into contact with something? I understand this may be an emotional time, but where are the bodies? We need to study them to understand what may have happened here."

"I'm not sure where they are…but I saw someone who had the flesh ripped from his arm…and…and another person who'd been ripped in half" said Kimura. One of the soldiers muttered something.

"Had the arm come into contact with anything chemical? Such as an acid?"

"Acid? Maybe, but I swear it looked as though something had torn it off, like it had been eaten perhaps" replied Kimura, failing to keep the image of the arm out of his head.

"I see. I'm sorry that you all had to experience this over these last few days. We are here to both investigate this phenomenon briefly and evacuate all survivors out of here…out of Tokyo. Can you take me to the others?" asked Park.

Kimura nodded while one of the soldiers helped to support Ryo who had grimaced as he placed weight down on his foot. Yukari was still unsure but followed the group as they marched towards the stairway. One of the men in biohazard suits turned to make sure the entrance door closed, and as he walked away with a dull _thwump _the lights on the vehicle switched off.

"Ready for evac when you are" crackled the driver's voice over Park's radio.

"Understood" said Park briefly holding the radio up to the black mask.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The booted footsteps echoed, only the sound of breathing through the gasmasks helping the footsteps to break the silence. Maebara led the way up the stairs, his gun trained forward. He was cautious, worried. He wasn't too worried about a bogeyman suddenly appearing from nowhere- more the idea of a civilian suddenly appearing concerned him. In this situation he might find himself pressing the trigger and asking questions later. God he hoped they had all decided to stay put…or at least not choose to come down the stairs.

"Fuji, what's the air in here like?" asked Park, the soldier beside him holding what looked liked a moderately sized white suitcase. His gun was slipped over one shoulder, the strap holding it in place.

Cautiously Maebara stepped out of the stairway and into the corridor. After a few seconds Fuji followed, before briefly placing the container down. He opened it, pulling out a strange looking device that Tomo tried to get a clearer view of, peaking over the shoulder of another of the soldiers. Fuji held up the device as he snapped the case shut, studying it.

"Seems all clear. No traces of toxins or biological agents" replied Fuji.

"Ok" said Park. He was glad. When they reached the others he'd be able to take this damn mask off.

"Toxins? We're alive aren't we?" asked Tomo.

"Could have been something slow acting" replied Park. "Something that had a moderate incubation period."

"I don't know what that means."

"I think I can hear the others" stated Maebara. "They just seem to be talking I think, and there's no trace of hostiles along the corridor."

"Let's go" ordered Park. "But keep a watch on the doors!"

Maebara marched down the hallway, the others following close behind the soldier. With his head kept forward he called out:

"Where are the others located?"

"They're all in the library- the place with the large double doors" replied Yukari, "Or at least they should be, unless they decided to run off and use us for bait."

"That's happened here?" asked Park curiously to Kimura who was jogging beside him. The teacher shook his head.

"She has a slightly overactive imagination sometimes" whispered Kimura.

Ahead of him Maebara had come to a stop by the double doors, standing to the right of the doorframe, against the wall. He lifted his weapon up slightly and glanced back at the others as Fuji joined.

"I dunno why they're doing that" muttered Tomo to Ryo. "There isn't anything bad in there- I mean Yukari _and _Kimura are out here with us. Then again I guess Yomi is in there."

"Alright, move in" commanded Park. "But be careful, there should just be civilians in there."

Maebara nodded as Fuji placed the container down on the floor and took a more secure hold of his own rifle. Maebara slowly reached out gripping the door handle. His gloved fingers tightened around the cheap handle and slowly pushed down, the door clicking open. He pulled back as Fuji trained his weapon on the door, before pushing it open.

The library came into view, a small group of shocked students staring at the two armed men. Chiyo across at Minamo who looked just as surprised as the small girl.

"W-what's going on?" asked the teacher finally.

"It's a rescue mission!" said Tomo appearing carelessly at the doorway and entering the room, stepping right in front of the two men. Maebara swore as he quickly lowered his weapon, Fuji following suit.

"I guess the area is secure then sir" replied Maebara.

"Alright then everyone, step up and into the library" ordered Park.

One by one the soldiers filed into the room, Kimura and Yukari entering together, followed behind by Ryo who was being supported by one of the soldiers. The students and teachers joined the rest of their colleagues, while the soldiers stood together.

"This room is now the operations centre for this mission" stated Park. "Unless commanded, until evac you are all to remain here." The commander turned to face the rag tag group of civilians who looked very ungainly next to the organized soldiers. "In time we will be evacuating this site, and the city, but until that moment in time I must insist that you all remain within this room."

Kagura stuck up a hand.

"Yes?" asked Park.

"We're still allowed to use the library toilets aren't we?" asked the girl, pointing to the two doors at the back of the room.

Park smiled under the mask.

"Yes Miss, you can use the toilets, all of you can. I just don't want any of you going out through _those _doors" said the man pointing to the entrance. He turned back to the soldiers. "The mission properly begins now. And since the air is clean, you can now remove your masks."

"Thank fuck for that" muttered Yamaguchi to Arai who said nothing.

* * *

Chihiro quickly allowed herself to look over her shoulder at the soldiers as they checked over equipment. One turned to look at her and she quickly turned back to the table.

"Why haven't we left yet?" she whispered to the small group. "I thought this was supposed to be a rescue mission."

"I dunno" said Kaorin. "But I guess they know what they're doing. They are soldiers."

"They probably have something that they have to do before they can leave" suggested Chiyo. "They might want to investigate something, like what's going on here."

"Couldn't some of them get us out of here and the others stay here to do whatever they need to do?" suggested Chihiro.

"Maybe they think there's strength in numbers" said Chiyo, sounding much older then her young age. "Maybe they only have one car."

"Vehicle, not car" said Tomo joining them at the table. "A car could only have a few people inside it silly." She seemed proud as Chiyo blushed, her young vocabulary having let her down.

"Maybe we're walking out of here?" suggested Kaorin.

"I hope not" replied Chihiro.

"We couldn't walk out of here right?" asked Chiyo sounding worried. "I mean it wouldn't work would it? They wouldn't expect us to do that?"

"Maybe" replied Tomo. "They might be super soldiers!"

"I doubt that" replied Chihiro.

As the group continued talking (and Tomo winding up Chiyo) the other students milled around, trying to kill time. Sakaki sat secretively reading a hardback book about cats while Minamo sat chatting to Yukari. Takuya sat at the computer, still typing away while Yomi sat in silence, nervously cleaning her glasses.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"So what did you want to see us about?" asked Yukari unsubtly as Minamo and Kimura joined her. The trio of teachers stood with Kozo, the group standing a short distance away from the other students. Park was busy talking with some of the soldiers.

"I thought I'd quickly talk to you all since I guess you were in charge, and probably want to know what's going on. Our commander will be joining us shortly" said Kozo, not noticing as Tomo crept up behind Yukari. "We are here to ensure you safely evacuate this building and get out of the danger area. However like the other rescue teams out in Tokyo we'll be investigating the phenomenon briefly to try and find some answers about what's going on."

"That's understandable" said Minamo.

"Why can't we leave now?" whined Yukari. Minamo jabbed her in the ribs.

"I can understand that you're all eager to get out of here" said Kozo. "But we can't rush into this. No one knows what is actually out in that dark. It could be some kind of corrosive element in the air, heck there might actually be a lifeform out there."

"Life form?" asked Yukari, asking the question Tomo was thinking. "So what, like an alien or something?"

"Well I wouldn't go that far" replied Kozo quietly. "Various new life forms are found every year. Although the chances of something turning up in a built up urban area are low, I guess it could happen. Given what's happened over the last few days, I'm not ruling anything out."

"So this isn't a government cover up?" asked Yukari curiously.

"Not that I'm aware of" replied Kozo shaking his head and giving a brief smile. Behind the teachers Tomo smiled as well. She thought that this Kozo army guy seemed to be quite a nice person. And he had a moustache which she had never seen in real life before.

"Yukari, what are you going on about?" asked Minamo.

"She's been talking like that for a while!" called out Tomo from behind.

"Hey Nyamo, I'm just keeping an eye on these guys" said Yukari. "Sometimes the army can't be trusted. Haven't you ever seen any movies?"

"I've seen plenty and I know what they are- movies, not real life" replied Minamo.

"What about those films that were based on a true story?" suggested Yukari hopefully. Her friend merely groaned in reply. Kimura took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead in despair.

"Cool, we're in an action film" said Tomo quietly to herself. "So am I the hero then?"

"Ha! As if! Of course I'm the hero" replied Yukari to her student. Kozo merely stood with a strained smile on his face, the other two teachers attempting not to hear the inane conversation that had just started.

"So then, I hope you're getting on well with the locals Kozo" said Park as he marched over to the small group having finished talking to two of his soldiers. Behind him walked the two men in biohazard suits. Unlike the soldiers they had yet to remove their masks.

"Yes sir, just informing them that we will eventually get them all out of here sir" replied Kozo.

"How many times Kozo, you don't have to bother with the 'sir'" replied Park. "And since you're all here I might as well introduce you to the temporary new members of the squad."

"Hi there" said Tomo waving at the two men from just behind Yukari. Kozo nodded. Just like the teachers gathered here, he had yet to be properly introduced to the two men.

The taller of the two men stepped forward first, standing in a relaxed manner beside Park. He shifted slightly as the attention of the teachers, Kozo and Tomo was placed upon him.

"This is Dr Petric" stated Park.

"Hello to you all" replied the man. He spoke nearly flawless Japanese with a slightly Eastern European accent. Tomo thought it was an odd mix. "I hope that this will be a safe mission."

Kozo said nothing, but recognized that the voice belonged to the man with the shaved head. The one who had accepted the offer of a weapon. Though they hadn't encountered anything yet the soldier was certain the scientist had made the right choice. Something was definitely off in Tokyo.

"Dr Petric here is a biologist" said Park.

"Biologist?" asked Yukari. "Why do you have a biologist with you? No offense Mr Scientist man."

"Well in case of biological creature being involved in this" replied Petric before Park could speak. "Some people believe strange creatures exist out there in the dark. We cannot rule out possibilities yet. Of course I hope to find specimens to study."

"Specimens?" asked Tomo this time.

"Creatures to study."

"So who's the other dude?" asked Yukari bluntly.

"I'm Turner, Dr Turner" said the man as he stepped forward. He spoke flawlessly in Japanese with a slight American accent. "I'm a psychologist…I'm kind of on loan from the American forces as it were."

"Yes, Dr Turner is here to talk with any of you. You may have experienced traumatic events, and please feel free to chat with Dr Turner. Unless something important relating to the mission is uncovered he will not inform me of anything, and no personal information will be disclosed" said Park.

"So a shrink huh?" asked Yukari. "How much per hour?"

"Oh I'm not charging anything today" replied Turner in a light hearted manner. The man smiled to keep the mood light; even though he knew they wouldn't be able to see through the mask.

"Not charging huh? Free then? I think I might have to have a talk with you later" said Yukari quickly glancing at the people beside her. "When these guys aren't around."

"We can hear you" said Minamo.

"_Sir…rang…ing. Sir…_" stuttered the walkie-talkie attached to Park's belt.

Kozo glanced up at his commander as the man pulled the device free and pressed down on the button to speak.

"What's going on?" asked Park. "Respond, what's going on out there? Have you come into contact with civilians? The enemy?"

Yukari was surprised. Park seemed surprisingly calm. She felt a strange chill pass over her even though she wanted to believe she wasn't feeling scared. Park paused before speaking again. Finally a crackled reply came back.

"_Damn strange…here…outside…som…_"

Static crackled across the radio. Park tried to send a reply. He paused, looking confused.

"What is it?" asked Kozo.

"He's holding down the _talk _button" said Park, "But isn't saying anything."

Yukari glanced down at Tomo who seemed to be cocking her head like a curious dog. Yukari almost found herself giggling as the thought passed across her mind.

"What is that sound?" asked Kimura.

Park held up the device again. Among the loud static they could just make out a crunching noise and something grunting, something scraping across metal, like a razor.

"I think the vehicles have been compromised" stated Park sternly.

"I think I should talk to you now" said Yukari to Turner.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"What's going on with the soldiers?" asked Chihiro nudging Kaorin in the ribs slightly. Kaorin turned and Chihiro pointed at the guy both assumed was in charge.

"Well…maybe we're leaving" suggested Kaorin hopefully. "Maybe we're getting out of here."

"Hopefully" replied Chihiro in a low voice.

Across the room Yukari was trying to find out what exactly was going on, even though Minamo and Kimura had already guessed.

"What's going on then?" she asked as Park quickly checked his pistol.

"The evacuation vehicles may have been compromised" replied Park. "That's our way out of here, so we're going to have to go and check."

"We?" asked Yukari. "Are we going with you?" asked the teacher.

"You don't have to worry about that" replied Kozo ahead of Park. "One of our priorities is to protect you from harm. Besides mission protocol wouldn't allow you to accompany us anyway."

"That's true Miss Tanizaki" replied Park. "You will be staying here with Mr Kozo."

"Oh that's good" said a relieved Yukari. The library had been starting to look much more endearing. Even after all the time spent trapped in there.

"Wait…what sir?" asked Kozo. "I'm staying here?"

"That's correct Kozo and I don't want any complaints. You will maintain an HQ here with the scientists and civilians. We'll keep in contact with you, and you keep a watch on the radio for any incoming transmissions" said Park pointing across at the large radio that Yamaguchi had recently set up. "You will be our relay point."

Yukari thought that was a bit pointless. Since the radio had been set up nothing had been heard from it. The soldier guys hadn't even been able to pick up half decent static.

"Are we ready to move?" asked Park. He had inconspicuously told Maebara to inform the others about the upcoming excursion.

The soldiers nodded almost in unison.

"Creepy" observed Yukari. Tomo nodded in agreement.

"Maebara, you're staying here with Kozo" stated Park. "In my absence Kozo is in control up here."

"Yes sir" said Maebara.

"And Yamaguchi, I want you to patrol outside in the corridor. Nothing gets in here" said Park.

"Sure thing boss" replied Yamaguchi with a wave of his gun.

"The rest of you are with me" said Park. "We're going in live, so don't get trigger happy. We're using night vision goggles, I don't want any of them to see us coming" said Park. Arai quickly reached down into his small backpack to retrieve his own set of goggles.

"And remember- stay with the civilians" said Park sternly to Kozo.

"Yes sir" replied Kozo.

"Well see you then" said Yukari waving as the men marched towards the library doors. "Come back soon please so we can get out of here."

In single file the soldiers left, followed by Yamaguchi who pulled the door shut behind him. Yukari turned away from the door and sat down, Tomo choosing to follow her.

"What are you, my shadow?" asked the teacher.

"No, I don't think I am" replied Tomo. "I mean when I go home you aren't around are you so I guess…"

"Urgh" groaned Yukari.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" asked Kimura, adjusting his tie. Though he took it off to sleep, he had continued to wear it, though it had been getting looser, and lower then his neck with every passing day.

"Well for now we just wait" said Kozo. "The team will stay in contact with us."

Right on cue the radio crackled into life.

"_This is Park. We have reached the lower level and are heading for the entrance. No enemy targets identified yet."_

"_You hear something just now?"_

"_Don't allow yourself to get spooked back there" _replied Park.

"_I know, I was just saying- I thought I might have heard something."_

"Hey mister soldier guy, how long is this likely to take?" asked Tomo having chosen to move away from Yukari to prove she wasn't just a shadow.

"Well it all depends on various factors of course" started Kozo, "But they should probably be back here in twenty to thirty minutes. Longer if they have to engage."

"Engage?" asked Tomo. "They're going to get married?"

"No, in case they have to engage the enemy" said Kozo. Kimura had a look on his face that almost seemed to say _not my student. _This was one of those situations were he might be willing to lie to a soldier.

"_See anything?" _crackled one of the soldier's voices over the radio.

"_Nope, nothing yet over here." _

Tomo and Kozo's attention was turned away from the radio as the library door slid back open and Yamaguchi stuck his head into the room.

"Yo Kozo, come out here a moment. I think I heard something, but I don't know for sure. I think it's best if you come and make sure I'm not just writing it off as my imagination or some crap like that."

"Fine" said Kozo walking across to the door. "Maebara stay put ok."

"I'm not going anywhere" came the reply from the soldier.

"I'll stay by the radio" said Tomo in a happy tone as Kozo and Yamaguchi vanished into the corridor, the door pulled shut.

"_Kozo, we've reached the vehicle. Kozo?"_

"Erm yeah this is Tomo here" said the girl, pressing down on the send button. "Mr soldier guy just went outside to check on something, but I'm here if you wanna talk."

"_I see. Well we're at the two vehicles. I'm going to continue transmitting."_

"Understood" said Tomo trying to match the tone of voice she sometimes heard in action films.

"_Can you see the driver anywhere?" _asked one soldier.

"_Er…no not yet. We should be at-son of a bitch."_

"_What is it? What do you see?" _said Park.

"_The bloody carrier door is half open. He opened the bloody door!"_

"_Goddam idiot."_

Across the room Takuya appeared to be paying attention to the ongoing radio conversation. He stood up and paced briefly before sitting down, agitated. Yuka, who had been sitting a short distance from the boy tapped him on the shoulder after a brief hesitation.

"Y-you look worried. What's wrong?"

"Something's coming" said Takuya in a monotone. "Something wants to come and say hello."

"Say hello? What do you mean?" asked Yuka.

"Don't worry, you'll see" said Takuya emotionlessly.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Through the glare of the night vision goggles the armoured transport carrier seemed particularly ominous. One of the masked guards stood guard while Park crouched down at the half closed door. He reached out with a gloved hand and poked a sticky mess, a stain across the floor. Beside it lay a slowly burning cigarette. Park's head rose slightly, looking at the vehicle. A dark stain on one side of the door frame.

"What do you think?" asked the soldier.

"I think this is all we're going to find of the driver" said Park. "You two on me, we need to check inside, make sure there's nothing lurking in there."

He pressed the button that lowered the door. Carefully the man stepped into the vehicle, checking the interior. He wasn't in a mood for dying here. Not here, not now, not in this bloody suffocating darkness. But all that stood before him was the vehicle.

"There's nothing up front either sir" said one of the soldiers. "No sign of our driver either. What do you suppose happened?"

"I guess the idiot went out for a smoke. Something must have come at him. Managed to get the door half closed, stop anything getting in and then it got him. Come on, lets go check on the trailer and then get back to the others."

As Park spoke he suddenly heard the distorted sound of gunfire across the radio. Though it was a strange deformed noise, he had enough experience to recognize the sound.

"Tomo. Tomo, what is going on up there?"

"_I dunno. One of the soldier guys outside is shooting at something."_

"Alright Tomo stay calm, we're on our way."

"_I am calm" _said Tomo. _"I'm not a scaredy cat!" _

* * *

Though Tomo was still by the radio and Kimura had chosen to stand by his student, the others in the room had backed away from the library doors, save for Maebara who nervously gripped his gun, and Takuya who remained at his computer.

"What do you think Mr Kimura? What's going on out there?" asked Tomo.

"I don't know" said Kimura. "But whatever happens, please don't do anything stupid. And try to stay back."

"Huh? Why? What's up with you?" asked Tomo in a suspicious tone. "What are you trying to do?"

"Moi? I'm doing nothing. I'm just a teacher trying to look out for my students" said Kimura. "I know what you girls all think of me, but there are times when I can be a teacher. And part of that is taking care of my students."

"Are you drunk?" asked Tomo.

"Not that I'm aware of" came the teacher's reply.

A collective intake of breath filled the room as once more the library door opened. Chiyo closed her eyes as Yamaguchi poked his head into the room, her imagination making her think someone was just holding his head. But luckily for her the rest of his body was indeed still attached to his neck. He stepped inside holding something, Kozo following the soldier, holding Yamaguchi's gun.

"What happened out there?" asked Maebara.

"Almost had a close encounter with one of the recent locals" said Yamaguchi. "This ugly bastard is dying I think."

"So everything is ok out there?" asked Maebara.

"Bingo" said Yamaguchi. "Well I almost stained my pants when the little bastard tried to jump on my face but apart from that I'm fine."

"Can I look?" asked Petric in his accented voice.

Tomo moved away from Kimura and gawked as Yamaguchi handed the scientist a small creature that was barely moving. She didn't say anything, but did gag slightly as the rotting smell reached her nose. The grey creature looked small in Petric's large white gloves, but as it opened its wide mouth Tomo saw lines of thin wickedly pointed teeth. Tomo guessed that if that thing bit your nose it'd go straight through it. As Tomo thought that her nose itched and she rubbed it.

"What the hell is that?" asked Yamaguchi.

"I don't know. This creature, I have never seen before" said Petric.

"What's it doing?" asked Tomo. Ever since she'd seen it, as well as opening its mouth the small body had also been convulsing and now she could see that it almost looked like it was burning, parts of the slimy skin turning a painful red and then black.

Petric wrapped both hands around the creature before pausing. He leant his body over the hands.

"I wouldn't do that doc" said Yamaguchi.

The scientist's body froze momentarily. The he turned his head.

"Is it possible to be turning off some lights?" he asked.

"Sure" called out Kimura, close to the light switches.

"What, you a creature of the night?" asked Yamaguchi.

"Please turn lights off over here" said Petric. Kimura complied, pressing up a switch and turning off the lights. "Come, come here" said Petric opening up his gloved hands slightly. The light from the other half of the library allowed them to see the small being.

"It's still ugly" said Yamaguchi.

"Hey look it stopped shaking" said Tomo.

"Indeed. It close to death, but still alive for now" said Petric. "Please turn on lights."

Kimura flipped down the light switch and the lights slowly flickered back on. Again the shaking started and the creature…

"Burning. It looks like it's burning" said Tomo.

"Yes" said Petric. He held one hand over the top of the creature, and the burning subsided slightly.

"Well what does that mean?" asked Maebara having been standing on the sidelines.

"Well I think…I think the light hurts it" said Petric.

"Light hurts it?" asked Turner, close to the other students. "Isn't light needed for growth and so on?"

"Well many animals have adaptations, various adaptations. Look at deep sea creatures. Far away from sun they still survive possibly using bioluminescence and so on" said Petric. "And this does look like new creature to me. Never seen before."

"A new discovery?" asked Turner in an excited manner.

"I thought you were a psychologist" said Yukari. Turner merely shrugged.

"So they can only survive in the dark?" asked Kozo. Petric nodded his shaved head.

"I can't remember anyone being attacked in the light" spoke up Yomi.

"Crap…that's true" said Minamo. "I never really noticed though."

"But why do you look worried Kozo?" asked Kimura.

"The others are out there…and they're using night vision. They left almost all of the torches in here. They're bloody sitting ducks out there."

"But where did the darkness come from?" asked Tomo.

"I do not know" said Petric as the creature died in his hands. "It gone."

"I'm contacting the others, they have to get back here now" said Kozo.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Tomo watched the soldier quickly march back across to the small communications device. Though she was curious about what was going on, she had a general idea that they should be afraid of the dark and what was in it. She didn't know why that was news, she thought it had been common sense since this had all started. So she stood in silence and watched, as Kimura stood close by her, wanting to hear the radio.

"Park? Park can you hear me?" asked Kozo.

"_Yeah Kozo I hear you. What's going on?"_

"We're fine-just- listen get back here now, it's dangerous out there."

"_We are on our way back currently. Kozo what's going on up there, you sound worried. What was the gunfire about?"_

"Park, we found something, but that's not important right now. What is important is that you and the others get back here right now."

"On the double!" called out Tomo, reciting something she often heard in her father's war films.

"_Who was- oh never mind we're back inside, heading for the stairs."_

"Is it still dark?"

"_Of course it bloody is" _said one of the other soldiers. _"You might not have noticed on the way up here but there's some strange stuff going on."_

"If it dark it is not safe. Get back to the library! Hurry!" said Kozo, all but yelling into the radio.

"_You hear something?"_

"_Yeah Kozo losing his nerve."_

"_No, no I heard something…something kind of big. To the right somewhere."_

Tomo glanced up at Kimura who merely wiped his brow with his tie. She stood confused as Yukari marched across to Kozo, and with a tap on his shoulder nudged him out of the way before he could even respond.

"Hey I dunno much about your soldiery stuff and all your gizmos and tactics, but I know you'll be looking bloody stupid if you don't get out of there now" said Yukari. "There's something, hell maybe loads of bad things out there at the moment and they can move around in the dark. Horrible little things they are, they smell and have sharp teeth and…"

"_Put Kozo back on the line, or someone who can remain calm."_

"Listen dammit!" said Yukari. "I'm bloody calm!"

Kozo, who was going to move Yukari away, froze as over the sound of the radio came a tinny scream and a short burst of gunfire. A strange sound was briefly heard, the tip-taps of erratic disorientated footsteps before a sudden burst of gunfire.

"_Calm down, calm down. Who's missing?" _they heard Park ask.

"_Shit, shit whatever it is got Ken and Matsu!" _said one of the soldiers.

"I did tell 'em" said Yukari.

"Park, get out of there now. Get the others and get back to the library."

"_Can't disagree with that!"_

"_Alright, alright head for the stairs, we…wait look out!" _shouted Park.

"_Please! Please help please ga-AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGHHHH!" _

Minamo covered Chiyo's ears as the piercing scream rang out across the library before a chilling silence cut it short. Close to the radio, Yukari, Kozo and some of the others could hear crunching sounds.

"It's _eating _him?" asked Megumi loudly, having grown bored of sitting back.

"Shhh" said Kimura. "Don't get worked up, we don't want a panic."

"Well screw them, I just wan-"

"Shut up" said Yukari in a stern voice. Megumi fell silent.

"_Where the hell is it?"_

"_-more then one!"_

"_The ceiling, shit check the ceiling dam-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH"_

"_Oh shit oh shit it tore him in two!"_

"_I can't see it I can't see it, where's it coming from?!"_

"_-dropped damn night vision goggles."_

"_Screw this!"_

Gunfire was heard once more.

"_Control your fire damn it! You hit one of your own men!" _they heard Park yell.

More screams. Gunfire and screams, that was all that could be heard as Chiyo lowered her head and Kaorin turned pale. Takuya didn't move from the computer.

"Park? Park are you still there?"

"_-till here. Others…can't see the others."_

"_I'm over here sir!"_

"_The others?" _asked Park.

"_I don't know. I don't know sir!"_

"_Listen soldier, we're falling back to the library. We're going- oh shit! You think you can just get me like that?!" _Pistol fire could be heard and the scream was brief.

Sweating, and with shaking hands Kozo replied on the radio.

"Park? Are you there? Is anyone there?"

"_It…it got Park! It got Park man!"_

"Get back to the library!"

A brief _swoosh _sound was heard, and then only static could be heard over the radio.

"Respond. Respond damn it!" said Kozo. _Silence. _

"They're all dead?" asked Megumi? "They're all dead?! That's right isn't it!"

"Shut up" said Yukari. "Just shut up" she said once more as Kozo tried to get a reply from the radio. He looked distinctly pale now and nervously itched his arm as he pressed on the button once more.

"That's not right is it?" asked Maebara. "There's still some out there right? Right? They probably just lost their radios in the fight right?"

"They're fucking dead man" said Yamaguchi under his breath. "We're fucked now. They even got Park."

"What now Kaorin?" asked Chihiro, the two girls having viewed the drama from across the room. Some had been hard to hear, but Megumi's outburst has made it all clear. "What can we do now?"

"I…dunno" said Kaorin not fully focused. She wasn't facing the soldiers and gathering students, instead she watched as Takuya stood up from the computer screen and walked to the toilets, vanishing into the small room. The boy hadn't been paying any attention to what had been going on a short distance away, instead engrossed with the computer. What had he been looking at? He hadn't seemed interested in the screams at all...

"I'm not sure" said Kaorin as Chihiro tugged weakly on her sleeve.

Chihiro fell into silence. Back with the radio Tomo watched as the science guy with almost no hair and strange accent marched over to moustache soldier. He tapped Kozo on the shoulder.

"Not, not now" said Kozo.

"I think it important. The creature- it is strange."

"That's not exactly bloody news doc" said Yamaguchi.

"No, no it very strange" said Petric.

Kozo sighed. "What is it then?"

"Yeah! I mean, please go on" said Tomo as Yukari shot her a look.

"I'll show you."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Tomo and Yukari had joined Kozo and Kimura at the table that Petric had commandeered. The biologist pointed the lamp down at the remains of the small creature. The skin sizzled slightly under the light, but not as much as before.

"Ew" said Yukari, having noticed that the small creature had been cut open.

"So you can see it?" asked Petric.

"Yes, yes it's all gory" said Yukari. "And it smells."

"It smelt from the start" commented Yamaguchi, standing behind the group.

"I see. Look, look at it" said Petric, sticking a gloved finger into the small mouth. The sharp teeth were revealed.

"I wouldn't do that" said Yukari. "Have you ever seen any horror films?"

"Yes, see it has teeth. It strange" said Petric, pulling his finger back out from the mouth.

"Teeth aren't that strange" said Tomo. "I have teeth."

"Yes- but this creature is not having any digestive system. There is mouth and small containment pouch, but no stomach. No means of digesting what goes through mouth. Very strange yes?"

"Well I guess that's true" said Yukari, wanting to look intelligent.

"I also looked inside head, inside skull" said Petric moving the body to reveal the inside of the creatures head.

"Ew, that's nasty" said Yukari, shattering the illusion she had wanted to create.

"The brain is strange also. A large proportion of it is cerebellum. In fact almost all is. It has strange gland I not see before. And no cerebral cortex. None at all. Unless I miss something, this creature not capable of independent thought. All it do is move. I not sure how it got here. Maybe something tell it what to do."

"Something tells it?" asked Kimura as Yamaguchi vanished from view. "What do you mean by that?"

"I not sure at the moment. Perhaps some sort of hive brain?" suggested Petric.

"And what is t-" started Yukari.

"Kozo! Kozo you better come here" said Yamaguchi, having sprinted back over to the group.

"What is it?" asked Kozo.

"I can't say here, just follow me" said Yamaguchi, turning without a further word. Kozo looked puzzled but followed the soldier, eventually coming to a stop outside the male bathroom.

"Yes?" asked Kozo inquisitively.

"In here" said Kozo pushing the door open.

"Shit" said Kozo under his breath. Takuya was suspended from the roof, having hung himself with his tie.

* * *

"So what do we do now?" asked Kimura, adjusting his tie once more, having become a habit by now.

"I'm not sure, I'm not sure" said Kozo, repeating himself. "Lets just…lets give it a few hours, some time to think" said the soldier. It hadn't taken long for the others to discover Takuya's fate, what with Tomo and Yukari standing behind them. Most of the group had been quietly shocked. The girl Yuka had cried slightly and Megumi had started to panic, annoying Yukari deeply. Though they had been shocked, no one quite knew what to say. None present in the room had ever really been friends to Takuya, didn't know much about him. The friends he had were out in Tokyo somewhere.

"Wow, I just can't believe he'd kill himself like that" said Tomo as Kozo fell silent. "I mean, why would he?"

"What happened to the soldiers must have been too much for him" suggested Kimura. "I guess he just snapped, couldn't take it anymore."

"I-I don't know about that" said Kaorin quietly.

"Huh? Whadya mean?" asked Tomo.

"Well…he'd been depressed at first. But he kind of, well became a bit detached. I saw him when the soldiers were…erm…killed. He paid no attention to it, was just stuck in front of the computer screen. He didn't seem worried by it."

"Yeah, he spent all his time the last few days on the computer" said Chihiro from behind Kaorin.

"I remember that. Yeah, and he never really let anyone else have a look" said Yukari.

"I wonder what he was looking at?" said Tomo.

"Well lets go have a look" said Yamaguchi marching over to the computer. "I doubt he'll care much now."

A look of distaste crossed Kimura's face while Yamaguchi sat down and pressed on the keyboard, his rifle leaning against the desk. Yusuke stood behind him, glancing over his shoulder (annoying Yamaguchi) and staring at the screen.

"Well what the hell is this?" asked Yamaguchi.

"It kind of looks like an IRC channel" said Yusuke. "But I've never seen one that looks like this."

"What the hell is IRC?" asked Yamaguchi.

"Internet relay chat" said Yusuke. "Most people just use forums nowadays."

"So he was talking to someone?" asked Tomo. "Who?"

"Lets have a look" said Takuya as a small crowd gathered behind him.

"Urgh, the guy he was talking to used caps" said Yusuke.

HELLO TAKUYA IT IS NICE TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN

"Maybe a friend?" suggested Kimura as they read down the page.

YOU HAVE MORE FRIENDS?

_No? No more friends? _Was the reply written by Takuya.

I TALK OF THE ONES WITH WEAPONS. THOSE WHO SEEK TO REMOVE YOU

"What the hell?" said Yamaguchi aloud as he scrolled the page down.

I DO NOT WISH FOR ANY OF YOU TO LEAVE

_We're aren't going anywhere_

I KNOW

THOSE THAT ARE TROUBLESOME WILL BE REMOVED. THEY ARE COMING NOW. I SENSE THEIR FEAR

"Who sent those messages?" demanded Kozo. "Does it say anywhere?"

"No there's nothing see" said Yusuke. "Where a username should be there's nothing at all."

THEY ARE DEAD. I GROW TIRED OF THIS

"Well that's not good" said Tomo.

I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY OF YOU TO ESCAPE

"The last entry" said Yusuke as they reached the bottom of the page.

I AM COMING. YOU WILL ALL DIE

"Well that doesn't sound good" said Tomo.

"Maybe someone was just playing a joke?" suggested Kimura hopefully.

"Maybe Takuya did it himself to freak us out before he killed himself" said Yukari.

As the small group stood around the monitor, three words suddenly appeared on the screen.

I AM HERE

And with that the monitor switched off, and suddenly all of the lights in the room extinguished, descending the room into darkness.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The chaos was short lived as the lights suddenly switched back on, even though Megumi was now screaming bloody murder. Kozo looked up at the lighting as it finished flickering back into life.

"What just happened?" he said.

"Did that thing on the computer do that?" asked Yamaguchi. "How the hell did it?"

"I think I know what happened" said Ryo, who sat away from the group. He had been resting his injured leg.

"What was that?" asked Tomo.

"The main power switched off. Now we're running on the power from the backup generator" said Ryo. "We're running on the diesel Tanaka had in that generator."

"Well how long will that last?" said Yukari.

"Not long enough! We're screwed!" said Megumi.

"Please, just calm down everyone" said Kimura.

"Oh shut up you damn pervert!" said Megumi. "Why should I calm down huh?!" As she was about to yell again the room suddenly shook as something hit the building from outside. That shut the girl up.

"Thank god for that" muttered Yukari to Tomo who nodded her head blankly. The who building shook again.

"What are we meant to do now?" asked Yomi.

"Yeah what, what do we do?" asked Chihiro. Kozo itched his moustache nervously, knowing everyone's attention was focused almost completely upon him. With Park gone, both the soldiers and civilians saw him as the leader, saw him as the one who needed to tell them what to do.

"Just give me a few minutes" said Kozo. Like many of the people present in the library, he was turning to the idea of getting out of there. But would they be able to get to the vehicles? From what he'd heard on the radio the two vehicles were still in working order- but they had to get there first. But then again, they did now know that the creatures seemed to avoid light…

"Sir, what are we doing?" asked Maebara, holding his rifle tentatively.

Another solid hit struck the building, the whole structure groaning slightly. Tomo tapped Yukari on the shoulder and pointed to the far corner of the wall. The two stood with their mouths open as a crack slowly etched its way along the wall, white paint flaking to the floor as the wood and mortar splintered.

"Well what the fuck's out there man?" asked Yamaguchi. "What's doing that?"

Megumi seemed to have regained her voice, and while she restarted her yelling, Yuka shrunk further into her shell, and like most of the students present was completely silent. Tomo glanced back at Yomi. The bespectacled girl paused, thinking Tomo was about to say something importantly. Instead Tomo merely waved, Yomi groaning to herself.

"We are leaving" said Kozo, Megumi's voice cutting off in mid sentence.

"Are you sure about that Mr. Army guy?" asked Yukari. A group of heavily armed soldiers had been killed (or possibly worse) in a matter of minutes while on high alert. She doubted they would be able to do better- she had taught some of the students here and knew they couldn't really compare to a group of soldiers. But then again, she did have a glass half full view of her classes.

"Yeah, I'm sure" said Kozo. "The electricity won't last forever and I don't want to be here when the lights go out. And something is attacking this place."

"But that thing is outside!" said Megumi. "Outside!"

"I think we'd have a better chance getting to their carrier thing and driving out of here even if we are outside when compared to sitting here and waiting for it to come" said Kimura.

"Yeah, I've grown bloody sick and tired of this place" groaned Yukari.

"That's the point. I'm not going to lie to you, we don't have much chance either way. But I believe we'll have the best chance of getting out of here if we move, and move now" said Kozo.

"What about Mr Ryo?" asked Chiyo sticking up her small hand. "I don't think he'd be able to walk too fast on that. The wound looks a bit horrible."

"Yeah it's icky" said Tomo.

"I'll help him" said Maebara.

"You will?" asked Ryo, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, I can help you" said Maebara. He said no more. He didn't want to admit to it, but he wanted to help because of his friend. If he had still been alive, if he had stayed here, Maebara knew he would help out the boy, leave no one behind. He was now gone. Maebara was still here.

"So are doing this sir?" asked Yamaguchi as he slid a fresh magazine into the gun, having fired off a few rounds in the corridor earlier.

"Yes we are" said Kozo. "Gather up anything you desperately need, but be able to move fast. We're leaving soon. We'll head for the main entrance- when we reach the doors it'll be a two minute dash to the vehicles. There are two out there- an armoured carrier and a truck. Maebara, you still able to drive the carrier?" asked Kozo.

"Well, my license has expired, so as long as you don't tell anyone I should be fine" said Maebara with a wink.

"Good, good. I'll be heading for the truck. If something is in the way, head for either vehicle. Even if the worse comes to the worse one of you should be able to drive them" said Kozo glancing at the three teachers and Yamaguchi. "The truck can be a bit heavy to handle, but I doubt you'll have to worry about anyone being in the way on the road now."

"I think I could handle driving a truck" said Yukari with a devilish glint in her eye.

"Oh please no" groaned Minamo. "Anything but that."

It only took a few minutes for the group to gather up their stuff. Yomi distributed the last of the drinks in her bag around the group in case they needed a drink. Megumi merely stood in disbelief at the others- and annoyance that her stuff had been left in the detention room. While Tomo shoved various things into her bag Chiyo approached Yukari and tentatively pulled on her sleeve.

"Oh Chiyo-chan, what do you need?"

"I know it's silly, but I guess we won't be doing the project?" asked Chiyo.

"Huh? Project" said Yukari with a blank look. "Oh no, don't worry about that."

"Oh so I can leave it here? I don't have room in my bag" sad Chiyo.

"Don't worry about it" said Yukari, Chiyo smiling and walking away. Yukari turned to Minamo. "That new transfer student is too adorable. It's suspicious" said Yukari.

"No it isn't."

And mere moments after Minamo replied the room fell into a tense silence. They were all ready, all prepared to move. Kozo approached the library door, gripping the pistol tightly in his hand. Ryo had one arm around Maebara's shoulders, while Yamaguchi stood with the nightvision goggles resting on his forehead, the strap digging into his hair. The students stood in silence.

"Lets go" said Kozo as he pulled the door open.


	26. Chapter 26

**Part 3**

**The creature**

Chapter 26

For reasons she couldn't quite figure out Tomo took a deep breath before running out into the hallway, following Yukari and Yomi in front of her as Kimura led the way along the corridor. The building continued to shake and the whole group was horrified as the corridor lights flickered on and off. After a brief hesitation they remained on. Behind Tomo the rest of the group left, Kozo the last to leave.

Up ahead Tomo skidded to a halt as Yukari had stopped a short distance ahead of her.

"What's going on?" asked the girl as Yukari stared at the teacher in front of her. The man was peering down the stairs.

"What's happened?" asked Kozo quickly marching up to Kimura. The man pointed down the stairs. Neither could see where the steps ended as the hallway below was bathed in darkness. Kozo swore under his breath.

"We could make a run for it?" suggested Yukari, appearing beside Kimura and startling the man. "I'm sick of being in that bloody library."

Kozo paused before turning to the group. "The lights downstairs are off, it seems it's completely dark down there." Mutterings came from the small crowd. "If you wish we can still attempt to get to the vehicles- or we can stay here. What do you want?"

"Hands up who wants to make a break for it" said Yukari stepping in front of Kozo. All but Megumi stuck up her hand- she quickly followed the others, sticking up her own hand, not wanting to be left behind.

"Ok, ok" said Kozo stepping back in front of Yukari. "Yamaguchi, you still have your torch?" he asked the soldier near the back of the group.

"Yeah, and my goggles" said Yamaguchi. "Why don't you take this?" he asked, handing the torch to Minamo who took it gratefully.

"Stay close" said Minamo to Chiyo and Yuka.

"Well lets get going then!" said Yukari, who wanted to get the hell out of there before her thin layer of bravado cracked and she found herself retreating back to the library she now hated.

Kozo led the way downstairs, a short distance behind was Maebara, supporting Ryo. The soldier tapped the night vision goggles wrapped around his head, a nervous habit. He had chosen to follow Yamaguchi in handing over his torch- in this case to Yukari. He still had his weapon, but from that small creature in the library it seemed light was able to do more damage to whatever was out there.

The first few people reached the ground floor, followed by Maebara. Through the goggles he stared with an open mouth at the great gash that had been torn into the far wall. And he gulped down slightly when he saw a pair of uniformed legs- and nothing else. Just a bit further along the corridor was an arm, still gripping a pistol. Maebara turned to Minamo and the two young girls who stood behind her.

"Don't look down" muttered the soldier. Though Minamo didn't reply, she held the torch up so it shone across the wall, making little dent in the unnatural darkness. Chiyo clung onto Minamo's sleeve. The torch beam swung through the air, showing the back of Kozo's head as the man slowly moved along the corridor. Once or twice he grimaced as he shoe touched something squishy yet solid on the floor. At least once he was certain he had stood on a hand.

With the younger girls around Minamo Kagura had chosen to stay near Yukari. She would have preferred to be with Minamo, not knowing much about Yukari, but the teacher seemed ok, if a little crazy. Beside Kagura marched the slightly strange girl she knew as Tomo. The girl with glasses who guessed was Tomo's 'friend' followed.

Behind them marched Yamaguchi.

"Oh shit. Oh shit man they got torn apart" he muttered to himself.

"I'd suggest keeping that to yourself for now" whispered Turner. The two scientists marched in the darkness near the soldier.

"Whatever" said Yamaguchi shaking his head. "_Torn apart man._"

Kozo had just reached the entrance when the building shook again. In the distance something fell, loudly, and a shrieking roar could be heard. Before Kozo could even open his mouth panic descended upon the group.

From the back Yamaguchi let out a stream of expletives as the wall cracked open, brick and mortar falling to the floor, something grabbing Yusuke and pulling the boy away. He audibly cracked before being pulled through the small gap in the wall, never even having time to scream, shout out in surprise.

Turner ducked down as Yamaguchi opened fire at the wall, bullets splintering the cheap school wall. As Kozo shouted out for him to stop Yamaguchi saw movement from behind and reloaded before firing again.

"Get a fucking move on!" he yelled out, the group moving as a single mass towards the entrance. As the magazine ran out of bullets Yamaguchi also turned, running for the entrance. Turner followed, having stood back up, but stumbled over a body.

With a crack he landed on the hard floor, and as the pain shot across his face realized his must have broken his nose. He decided if that was the worst that happened it would be a good day. As his hands scrambled across the floor to get up he stumbled across something cold, metallic. A pair of the goggles?! He gripped them- yes they must be goggles.

He ignored the pain from his crushed nose as he slid the goggles on. He could see the bodies of the soldiers, but cared little- all he had to do was escape. Times spent at horrific accident scenes had strengthened his stomach. But he felt it heave when he saw Yamaguchi step through the doors, leaving him alone in the hall.

Expensive shoes slipping slightly the psychologist stood up and ran. He barged through the closing door which smashed loudly against the wall. He froze as he saw that right in front of him was a strange looking creature, more a blob then an animal. In the way.

"Fuck it" said the man. He was a fast runner, he'd have to take the long way. He sprinted, cursing the chainlink fences that had been put up. He spied a gap, near the edge of the building, and picked up speed- before stopping.

His jaw dropped as he stared at the gigantic quivering creature in front of him. He shook his head in disbelief as a three clawed hand reached down and picked him up. The creature stood about ten feet tall, Turner grimacing as the grip tightened around his body. He saw the drool splattered maw open, revealing lines of sharp teeth.

He cried out as the goggles started to slip from his head. Not like this- he didn't want to be eaten alive! As though in response another clawed hand gripped his legs and yanked down. He cried out in surprise as he felt various bones crack and pop. Suddenly the feeling in his legs were gone. As he limply looked down he could make out the vehicles. He didn't say anything as his torn body was yanked apart, ripped in two as his bloody entrails fell to the floor below with a splat.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

While the remains of Turner fell to the floor Megumi, unable to hear the noise as the blood rushed through her head, sprinted towards one of the vehicles. Just ahead of her she saw Fuka, a girl she was certain she could overtake, so at the very least she'd be protected from attacks from behind. But even as she thought that something wrapped around her right ankle and pulled sharply, causing the girl to fall to the floor.

Even as she landed hard, cutting her palms open on the gritty tarmac she became aware of a sharp pain around her ankles. She looked down at her leg, below where the skirt ended, past the knee, to see that her leg terminated in a bony, but blood free stump. Her foot still nestled in the expensive shoe sat beside her. She screamed out for help but had fallen too far behind. As she tried to crawl forward she shrieked as something grabbed her and pulled her back. She left a trail of blood and snapped off fingernails as she attempted in a futile manner to resist being pulled back into the building.

Ahead of her Yamaguchi paused momentarily, thinking he'd heard something. He swore he'd heard a girl scream, but couldn't be certain. He'd also noticed that American had vanished somewhere. He guessed the guy might just be a fast runner. The soldier quickly turned to see if something was behind him, but all he saw was the outline of the building. Not wanting to be left behind he sprinted for the vehicles. Having spotted the truck first he ran towards it, following the loud teacher up into the large vehicle. Through the night vision goggles he found himself staring at Yukari's backside- he had to admit she was a good looking teacher.

As he stepped into the vehicle he swore as the interior lights half blinded him through the goggles. He slid them up onto his forehead and saw someone else was also present- one of the louder girls, Tomo. She was glancing around nervously, seemingly looking for something.

"Yo Tomo, what's up?" asked Yukari.

"Where's Yomi?" asked the girl, looking worried for the first time. "She was with us, but now she isn't here."

"Oh yeah" said Yukari, suddenly noticing for the first time.

"Don't worry I'll check" said Yamaguchi slipping the goggles back on and peering outside. He didn't stick his head outside, he wasn't that stupid. He swore as he had to move out of the way, Kimura running towards him and climbing into the truck. He glanced out again and briefly saw the girl with the glasses before she vanished into the carrier. Following her was the tall girl and the other teacher with the two smaller girls.

"Don't worry, she's in the other one" said Yamaguchi sticking up a thumb. He instantly regretted that. "_Fucking cool you idiot._"

* * *

With a huddled group of schoolgirls, one teacher and Ryo, Maebara found himself wondering over how long to wait to see if anymore people turned up. Sakaki was busy saying something to Chiyo, and the group was startled as suddenly Kaorin jumped into the vehicle, followed by Chihiro who awkwardly climbed up.

"Was there anyone else out there?" asked Maebara.

"I don't think so" replied Kaorin.

Despite feeling a knot of dread in his stomach the soldier grabbed his own goggles, slid them on and jumped outside. He glanced around nervously, walking to the front of the carrier transport. No one there.

He quickly returned to the carrier, jumping inside and closing the thick door.

"We're leaving" he said.

"Wait what about Yukari?" asked Minamo.

"Yeah and Tomo!" said Yomi.

"Also Kimura" muttered Kagura.

"They must be in the other vehicle, don't worry. No one else is out there" said Maebara as he started the engine. It roared into life, Maebara deeply grateful for that at least. He was determined to at least get these civilians to safety.

* * *

While Yamaguchi slumped down into an uncomfortable chair Kozo peered out through the reinforced windshield. The lights from the truck roared glared out, making it difficult to see, but he was certain no one else was coming. He'd been the second to last person to reach the truck, Petric following shortly afterwards.

He turned and peered through the glass in the side door as he heard an engine turn on. Though they wouldn't be able to see him, he waved the carrier off as it vanished from view.

"Good luck" he said quietly.

"Have the others left?" asked Yukari.

"Yes they've gone" replied Kozo.

Tomo glanced down at the floor and smiled. Yomi had escaped…now she had to as well.

"Well they're gone" said Yamaguchi standing up and peering over Kozo's shoulder. "How about putting the pedal to the metal and getting us the fuck out of here?"

"Ok I will, I just thought we should wait to see no one else is coming" said Kozo uncertainly.

Yamaguchi leaned over Kozo further, staring out of the windshield at the view in front, even with the darkness. He couldn't even make out the outline of the large school building but still said:

"Trust me, there's no more people coming. Lets just get a move on."

"I agree with the loud soldier guy" said Yukari.

"Thanks lady" said Yamaguchi in a snarky tone.

"Hey I'm not old enough to be a lady" grumbled Yukari.

"You do act more like a girl" muttered Kimura.

"Ok, whatever can we just get going _please_" said Yamaguchi.

"Ok" said Kozo as he pulled out the key. Oh how he was glad he still had that. He had been so surprised since the others were torn apart, so shocked about what was going on, and in a rush to leave he hadn't even checked to make sure he had the damn key! He'd almost been a bloody idiot. As Yamaguchi sat down behind him, tapping on the chair nervously, Kozo turned the key.

_Click._

Nothing happened. No response at all from the engine. Kozo wiped his hand across his forehead and tried once more. No response at all. Something seemed to be wrong with the engine, nothing started despite the interior lights being on. The engine was dead.

They were going nowhere.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"Hey what's the hold up?" asked Yukari as Kozo tried to start the vehicle once more. The soldier knew now that it wasn't going to miraculously start working, but that was all he could hang on to now to avoid just giving up completely. He tried again. Finally with a sigh he turned to face the small group, made to look even smaller due to the cavernous size of the vehicle.

"Something…something is wrong with the engine I think" said Kozo, his head slumping down into the support of his hands. "I've tried the damn thing a few times, but it just doesn't respond at all. I think the engine's dead."

"So we aren't leaving?" asked Tomo.

"Well you could try walking" suggested Kimura.

"Then engine's dead? How the fuck can the engine be dead?" asked Yamaguchi. "It's not like we were in there for ages, or that you left the bloody windscreen wipers and radio on!"

"I'm not sure what's going on" said Kozo in an emotionless voice, not really looking at his fellow soldier. "I don't really have any training with the engine, I'm not a technician or anything…"

"Screw being a technician, I'll go and have a bloody look!" said Yamaguchi standing up and opening the door. Yukari called out something about being an idiot while Petric backed away from the opening door slightly. Kozo said nothing, hardly seeming to notice Yamaguchi had just stepped outside.

No longer running on adrenaline and fear, having had time to calm down, only now did Yamaguchi notice it was quite chilly outside. Although it had been dark in this cursed place for quite a while now, it was nearing what would have once been distinguishable as midnight.

He marched to the front of the large truck and saw nothing wrong. He was about to go back and ask Kozo to open it up when he quickly decided to check the other side which faced away from the school. As he marched around the vehicle and the green image of the night vision came into sight he let out a soundless curse. A great hole looked like it had been _punched _through the side and into the engine block. Yamaguchi leant down and peered through the hole.

All he saw was carnage, a cavalcade of torn metal. He doubted even the 'technician' would know what half of the stuff had once been. He pulled away and looked up. This area hadn't been protected by the lights. But there was also a blind spot near the front. He felt a tightness in his stomach, a knot of fear. For reasons he could explain, he was certain the side had been attacked, as that way no one would likely notice it as they ran for the truck. Yamaguchi was certain that was what happened- yet he refused to believe those _things _could be that smart. Not wanting to find out he rang back around the front of the vehicle and back inside, closing the door behind him.

Yukari glanced up as the soldier as he slid off the goggles once more and threw them against a chair angrily. Regaining a bit more composure he placed the weapon down safely as Yukari opened her mouth to speak.

"What's wrong? What happened out there?" she asked.

"Yeah, you look really annoyed!" said Tomo.

"I guess you could say I'm annoyed" replied Yamaguchi. "Also pissed off, alarmed and scared shitless."

"Why, what's going on? What did you see out there?" asked Yukari.

"The engine…the engine is gone. Well it might still be there actually, but the shit was torn right out of it man, there was just a bloody hole. Sharp torn metal stuff all over the bloody place."

Kozo let out a quiet laugh, though it was not one of mirth. It was the laugh of a man pushed too far. Petric and Kimura lowered their heads in silence.

"So what now?" asked Tomo not paying attention to the gloom that had descended upon the rest of the group. "What do we do now?"

"Well I dunno, I guess we could sit around, have a little sing song and hope all of this suddenly blows over" said Yamaguchi. Kozo said nothing.

"Hey Yukari you look worried!" said Tomo as Yamaguchi turned away from her.

"Of course I'm worried you idiot" replied Yukari. "I mean look, this place doesn't even seem to have a toilet…and we might be here for a while."

"Oh there is a toilet further back, oh it is cramped though" said Kozo in his now distant voice.

"Well as long as it has a lock" said Yukari.

"I think there are more important things to worry about" said Kimura without lifting his head.

"Well I guess so Kimura, like food and drink. I don't want to be hungry for too long."

"I'd be more worried about those things out there getting hungry and eating you" said Yamaguchi sarcastically.

"Well if they have stomachs" replied Petric. "Other one had no stomach."

"Whatever Mr scientist" said Yamaguchi.

The gathered adults fell silent, Kozo leaning back in his chair and saying nothing as he closed his eyes. Kimura looked up from the floor briefly while Yukari fiddled with her sleeve, tugging at a loose thread. While they were silent Tomo started glancing around the vehicle. She thought it looked really cool with loads of expensive looking things, as well as what looked like a collection of weapons. Cool!

But as well as that she found herself looking around the vehicle as the girl was certain she could hear a strange hum coming from somewhere. None of the others had noticed it, or they were just too worried to pay attention to it. She was about to tug on Yukari's sleeve to ask if the teacher could hear anything at all when one of the expensive computer screens suddenly switched on. The suddenly light and noise startled the group- with the exception of Kozo the group looked at the screen.

The screen flashed white before suddenly switching to a black screen. Looking at it Tomo knew the screen was still switched on.

"Hey what programme is that?" asked Tomo.

"I'm not sure how, but I don't think it's a programme we use" said Yamaguchi. "We just use Windows I think, and that doesn't look like anything I've seen before."

As if in reply a single word in thick white text appeared, flickering slightly as though through interference.

HELLO.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Computers aren't meant to do that right?" asked Yukari pointing at the screen. The single word still remained in place.

"Try turning it on and off?" suggested Tomo. "Or maybe control alt delete?"

"No I don't think this is a normal programme…well I say think, I mean pretty obvious" said Kimura.

"Really?" asked Yukari. "Well I do hate computers so I don't really know much about them…"

THE ONE KNOWN AS KIMURA IS CORRECT

"Kimura? How do you know who I am?" asked the teacher.

I AM AWARE OF YOU ALL

"Even me?" asked Tomo pointing to herself.

THAT IS CORRECT TOMO

"Cool" said Tomo to herself.

"I wouldn't really call this cool" muttered Kimura.

"But who the hell are we talking to?" asked Yamaguchi. "I'm not really sure what the hell is going on, but I know this isn't normal."

"Maybe we're talking to whatever is behind this strange stuff" said Yukari. "Hey are you the guy responsible for all of this?"

YUKARI YOU COULD CONSIDER ME TO BE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE

HOWEVER I CAN NOT BE CONSIDERED A GUY

"A girl?" suggested Yukari. A silence fell over the vehicle as the group turned to look at the teacher. "What? Females can be just as bloodthirsty as men!"

I WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED THE SAME SPECIES AS YOU

"So what, are you like an alien or something?" asked Tomo. "From space or something?"

I HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS PLANET FOR LONGER THEN YOU HUMANS

"Then why hasn't anything like this happened before?" asked Yukari as though she was accusing a student of lying about their homework.

HOW CAN YOU BE CERTAIN OF THAT YUKARI?

"So what…you've done this before?" asked Kimura as Yukari moved away from the screen annoyed at possibly being corrected. "To other places and other people?"

THAT WOULD BE TELLING KIMURA

"I don't like the attitude of this guy" muttered Yukari to Tomo after nudging her student.

"So why are we still here?" asked Yamaguchi. "And why did those others get to escape?"

THAT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL. MY ENTITIES WERE UNABLE TO DISABLE THE OTHER VEHICLE AND SO IT WAS ABLE TO LEAVE. I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ALLOWING THEM OUT OF TOKYO

"This guy loves the sound of his own voice" muttered Yukari.

"He doesn't have a voice" replied Tomo.

"Crap, I knew I should have run for the other vehicle…had more armour. Unlike this one" muttered Yamaguchi.

"Yeah, yeah I knew I should have as well" said Kozo, his voice still emotionless.

"But what are you?" asked Kimura.

YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND ME

"Try me" said Yamaguchi.

"Yeah, I think I could handle it" said Yukari. "Come on please, what the hell are you?"

THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT NEEDED

"I think it is needed Mr Caps guy…I want to know what you are…at least give us a name" said Yukari.

"Maybe he has forgotten his name?" suggested Tomo.

ACROSS THE CENTURIES I HAVE BEEN CALLED MANY THINGS BY YOUR SPECIES. I HAVE BEEN CALLED BOTH GOD AND THE DEVIL- I HAVE EVEN SIMPLY BEEN CALLED EVIL ITSELF

"Aren't you thinking a bit high of yourself?" asked Yukari.

THOSE ARE TERMS USED BY YOUR SPECIES. THOUGH YOU HAVE ALL ADVANCED GREATLY SINCE I LAST EMERGED

"How old are you?"

OLD

"That…doesn't really answer the question" said Yukari.

IT IS SOON TIME FOR ME TO RETURN TO THE EARTH. YOUR TECHNOLOGY IS MUCH IMPROVED BUT I WILL VANISH ONCE MORE

I AM COMING

"Coming? I don't suppose you could tell us when?" asked Yukari.

The screen switched off, a low hum coming to an end. The screen was just as lifeless as before the conversation had started.

"Well I guess that means the talking is over?" asked Yamaguchi.

"You're lucky, he never mentioned your name" said Tomo.

"So what the hell was that?" asked Yukari. "And what can we do?"

"I have idea" said Petric who had been quiet since entering the vehicle.

"What idea?" asked Kimura.

"Thinking about what I saw earlier- and what that thing said. Perhaps that thing is the hive mind controlling the other things."

"Controlling other things?" asked Yukari.

"When I studied creature…it had very little to suggest it could even think by itself- I found myself thinking perhaps something controlled it."

"So what are you saying Mr Scientist guy? That the thing we were talking to might control all of those other bloodthirsty bastards?" asked Yamaguchi.

"Perhaps" said Petric. "But I cannot be sure."

"Well it has been the only thing to talk to us" said Kimura. "And it was talking to Takuya as well."

"Maybe that's how they knew our names- Takuya told it" said Yukari. "Or at least I hope that's what happened…if not it's a bit creepy."

"_Bit _creepy?" asked Kimura.

"But what can we do?" asked Yamaguchi.

"Kill that thing?" suggested Yukari. "That would work right? If it controls them then if we kill it…well…nothing controls them. And hopefully they die…or run out of control."

"So we kill that thing?" asked Yamaguchi, glancing over towards Petric.

"Well it might work if I correct" replied Petric. "If I correct."

"Well what the hell else do we have to do?" said Yamaguchi. "I say we try this method."

"I'm all for that" said Yukari. She glanced across at Tomo who looked a bit blank. The girl realized she was being looked at and quickly looked back at Yukari. After a pause she nodded her head.

"I'm for that too" replied Kimura.

"I try and help too" said Petric.

"What about you Kozo?" asked Yamaguchi. "You want to help out?"

Kozo said nothing, merely staring out of the windshield.

"I take that as a yes" said Yamaguchi as the floor started to rumble.

"Oh great" said Yukari.

"Oh God it's coming back!" screamed Kozo before the windshield shattered inwards, spraying glass across the interior of the vehicle. Yukari saw a blur through the broken windshield and Kozo thumped back into the chair. It creaked and suddenly he was screaming as something gripped his head. Over the fierce rumbling and rattling from inside the vehicle Yukari couldn't hear the skull cracking- but she turned away in horror as the man's head crushed inwards splattering blood across the now slumped shoulders. With a faint movement the crushed head was torn away from head and the body slumped forward. Blood dripped to the floor below as Kimura covered Tomo's eyes reflexively.

Yukari slipped and fell to the floor. She tried to stand up when she became aware of the vehicle starting to tilt- suddenly she realized- the damn thing was being turned over! She heard Yamaguchi yell out something, but couldn't make out the words, before the vehicle tipped to one side and her face met the wall. Groggily her head slumped down against the floor as she heard brief gunfire.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Yukari opened her eyes again to find Tomo looming over her. The back of her head stung greatly, pain streaking across the back of her head as she moved it. Lights shone across in front of her eyes and she felt like her head was exploding as gunfire carried on a short distance from her.

"What's going on?" asked Yukari.

"Well that's a big evil thing out there eating people and we're in here and part of the wall has been caved in" said Tomo pointing to a large dent above the two of them.

"Ah crap" muttered Yukari. She held her hand against her head to try and stop the pain and watched in silent horror as the former vehicle door started to cave further inward, the expensive vehicle still resting on its side. A screech followed by a metallic groaning followed the bending of the steel.

"Are we going to die?" asked Tomo.

Yukari merely sat in complete silence looking up at her student. She didn't quite know how to respond to the question, it just seemed like the completely wrong thing to say in a situation like this.

"I'm not gonna die here" replied Yukari in a moody tone. "I have things at home to watch, I should get paid soon and I really want a drink. I'm not going to die here!"

"What about me?" asked Tomo.

"That's kind of a grey area" replied Yukari as she stood up with support from her student. She glanced over at the only remaining soldier as he released an empty clip. Kozo's headless corpse was sprawled across the floor near the shattered windscreen. Yamaguchi grimaced as he slid another magazine in.

"What's going on out there?" asked Yukari. The soldier turned to face her.

"We're in deep shit" called back Yamaguchi. "I'm almost out of ammo and we've got no way out of here. Plus all this gunfire is giving me a fucking headache."

"Light would be useful" said Petric with a large gash across his head. "It is probably only thing stopping smaller creatures entering here."

"Yeah they can't get in yet, so instead they're just crushing us like a fucking can" replied Yamaguchi.

Almost as one the group yelled out as they suddenly lost their footing. Yukari fell forward, face first into the wall while Tomo slipped down onto her backside. Yamaguchi swore loudly as he slipped backwards.

"What's going on?" called out Kimura, supporting himself as the whole vehicle shook from side to side. Slowly Kozo's body started to slip away from the rest of the group before suddenly falling out of the shattered windscreen.

"I don't fucking believe this" said Yamaguchi as he caught sight of what was happening in front of the shattered windscreen.

"What?" called out Yukari.

"That bastard has picked us up and…fuck me look at the size of that thing!"

Ignoring the little voice in her head Yukari stepped forwards, and resting her weight against the drivers seat allowed herself to look outside. The former car park was now nothing more then a vast hole, with a series of great cracks running along the edge, pushing chunks into one another as though they were tectonic plates. At the centre of the hole, deep down in the ground was a pulsing grey mass.

"What the…" started Yukari.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" called out Yamaguchi as with a faint ripple a line started to appear across the top of the mass. Suddenly the top layer seemed to part way, pulling back to the edges. In a few seconds it became clear what was forming as a great series of razor white fangs appeared.

"A mouth?" said Yukari. "Is it gonna eat us?"

"What's going on out there?" called out Tomo.

"Stay back there Tomo" yelled Yukari as the vehicle started to groan again. From the outside it seemed relatively tiny, a vast grey tentacle wrapped around it. Yukari was shocked as Petric suddenly appeared from behind her to look out at what was happening.

A guttural roar was emitted from the large mouth, Yukari holding her nose as a foul stench and liquid splattered across the front of the vehicle. Yukari suddenly noticed Petric fidgeting…and then he started crying out in pain.

"What is it?" asked Yukari.

"Help!" cried out the scientist.

Yukari stepped forwards and saw that Petric was covered in several tiny creatures. He tried to sweep them off of him, but merely cried out in pain as one of his fingers was torn away. Petric started screaming as he felt the pain of several cuts and slices across his body.

"Get them off!" he cried out as his throat started to bleed. He jerked around trying to sweep them away when his foot slipped out from under him on the blood of Kozo. He fell backwards, smashing down onto the glass that remained attached to the windscreen frame. His eyes widened in terror as he fell, vanishing into the dark of the mouth of the creature.

"Fuck you!" yelled out Yamaguchi, leaning out to open fire on the creature. As the vehicle wobbled again Yamaguchi turned away and marched towards the back of the vehicle. "Screw this!" he said as he smashed in a compartment, revealing a series of weapons and ammunition.

"You're gonna shoot it to death?" asked Tomo.

"No, but I have a plan" said, but I have a plan" said Yamaguchi. "Well actually not much of a plan, just a big boom in mind" added the man as he pulled out two odd cylindrical like objects and a flare.

"What are you going to do?" asked Kimura.

"In case of emergencies this thing has an extra fuel tank…even more petrol" replied Yamaguchi. "And plenty of explosive things in here."

"You don't mean…" said Kimura trailing off.

"What? Mean what?" asked Yukari and Tomo in unison.

"This thing is about to become a big bomb" said Yamaguchi with a smirk. Holding onto a railing he pressed against the buckled side door. It opened an inch but not much more. "I'm not fucking dying in here!" he yelled and kicked the door hard and fell back as it swung open.

"Are you ok?" asked Tomo.

"I think I broke my foot" groaned Yamaguchi. He allowed a moment of groaning before ripping off part of his sleeve. He peered out of the doorway, currently they hung about thirteen feet from the ground. "Go and get some torches from that drawer I just smashed open."

Yukari didn't need to be told twice, and grabbed a few, switching them on and chucking one to Kimura and Tomo. She grabbed a few more, tucking one into each pocket.

"I hope this works" said Yamaguchi as he climbed into the doorway. "Listen out for me…when I say so, jump." The soldier vanished from view, climbing up onto the roof before anyone could object.

Standing on the roof Yamaguchi began to feel a bit stupid, thinking there was no way this could work. He gritted his teeth and lit the flare, holding it towards the tentacle gripping the vehicle. From below he heard a squeal as the flesh started to burn. Suddenly the tentacle bent downwards and the vehicle lowered.

"Go! Jump now!" yelled out Yamaguchi. Kimura went first, leaping out as the vehicle was still lowering. Tomo followed behind him while Yukari, after some hesitation, jumped. Yukari landed beside Tomo who was looking over Kimura. The man's ankle seemed to be bent at an odd ankle, but they were alive.

"Lets go" said Yukari dragging Kimura away as the vehicle swung above them.

Yamaguchi reached over to the side of the vehicle and ripped away the petrol cap. Groaning to himself he just about managed to slide the torn sleeve fabric down into the hole. With a sweep of his hand he lit it with the flare and then dropped it.

"I hope this works" he said as he held up the two cylindrical objects. He pulled the pin and threw both, running and leaping off the roof. Behind him the two flashbangs exploded, and the tentacle was vaporised with a squeal from below. The heavy truck fell, straight into the mouth, and even as Yamaguchi rolled away it exploded in a fireball far larger then he had been expecting. He swore and covered his head protectively as debris began to rain down.

Yukari continued to sweep the torchlight around the group as creatures approached them. Suddenly they were all surprised by a vast explosion and a disgusted roar. For a few seconds nothing happened as the flames burnt in the distance.

And then almost instantaneously the unnatural darkness vanished around them, seemingly falling towards the ground and disappearing. The rising sun in the distance became clear, and the twisted creatures surrounding them began to writhe in pain as the early morning sunlight began to burn them to death.

"W-what's going on?" asked the confused Yukari.

"Maybe that big thing was what controlled the darkness?" suggested Tomo.

"Probably" replied Kimura.

"I got it! I got that bastard!" called out Yamaguchi as he marched towards the trio, covered in gore that was turning crispy under the sunlight. "I kicked its ass."

"Is it dead?" asked Tomo.

"It must be, when I looked there, there was nothing left" replied Yamaguchi.

"So…how do we get out of here?" asked Tomo.

"And does this count as overtime?" asked Yukari. Kimura sighed and then hissed in pain as he put too much weight on his swollen ankle.

"Serves you right" replied Yukari. The small group stood together, looking at the ruins of the school. In the distance they could hear the sounds of sirens breaking the eerie silence that had gripped Tokyo.

It sunk deep beneath the ground, deeply wounded. It had been able to feed, almost to the extent it had wanted to. Now it could hibernate in peace again. Those humans had been a lot more advanced then the last time it had made contact. For now it could wait and sleep. It would recover soon enough, and in a few centuries it would again be time to feed.

**The end**.


End file.
